Spark Of Rebellion: 55th Hunger Games
by Caefer-Chief
Summary: When Claire, a young girl from the richer part of District 7, is called for the reaping she must learn to drop the once loved life she once had and learn to become a fighter to make it back to her boyfriend Callum, but when Callum's best friend Seth, a broken boy with a dark and horrific past, volunteers to take his place, she suddenly has to deal with killing more than Tributes.
1. Chapter 1 - A Perfect Day

**A/N: Thanks for clicking, I'm trying to write something that fits in with the lore of Hunger Games but has an original story to it. Hope you enjoy it.**

The sun cuts through the trees high above and rests lightly on my brow as I swing my axe at the log beneath me. Work in District 7 is tough, but I would prefer to be working in the forest than in the mine like those in district 12, or in a factory like the ones in District 3. No, the out doors gives me a sense of clarity, and considering the reaping is coming in a few days I think I need it, the arena is no place for a young girl such as myself. I stop for a moment to wipe my brow and smile as a very close friend, or more than friends should I say, walks up to me with a big smile and an axe over his shoulder.

"Good morning sunshine," Callum says with a smile as he embraces me, "how are today?"

"Fine, thanks, nervous, but I'm fine."

"Nervous, Claire?" He asks, he very rarely calls me by my name but when he does I can't help but feel embarrassed, "nervous of the reaping I'm assuming?"

"Yeah," I reply with a small nod, he runs his fingers through my long dark hair, and I do the same to his short and curly dark hair, "I think you'll be fine." He kisses me on the forehead and continues off to cut some more lumber.

"Of course." I mutter under my breath, I mean really what are my chances of being picked for the games?

It's not long before I'm forced to take a break and drink some water, I normally build furniture rather than cutting wood, but the normal wood-cutter, a seventeen year old boy called Seth a year older than both me and Callum, has apparently disappeared. This isn't surprising, Seth had suffered greatly as a child and he only speaks to Callum, in fact those two are nearly inseparable. I can picture Callum knowing where he is but no one else will ever find where he disappears to. Then I spot him, walking down the long dirt path between the tall trees that reach high into the sky. He wears a simple dark green t-shirt, black "army pants" as the younger people call them and a pair of boots, but that's not what makes him unique. What makes him unique is the pitch black bandages that cover the whole of his right hand torso, arm, and all of his head, he even hides his eyes behind a pair of sun glasses. The left hand side of him is normal, he's not built massively like Callum is, even though he is taller he's far more lean yet still strong.

"Afternoon, Seth." I wave my hand but he ignores me and walks past, even though I am Callum's girlfriend it will take a long time before I will be able to get a word out of the broken boy, and the upcoming reaping must be playing with his mind as well. I don't get much out of anyone for the rest of the day, but I feel lucky, as I that feeling dawns Callum returns, his tanned skin glowing in the sun which brings out his dark green eyes. I can't help but think how lucky I am to have him, the most attractive boy in the school. Of course all the other girls are jealous and I'm happy of it, he's my boy and I'll never let him go. He embraces me again and gives me a kiss.

"Are you ready for an evening watching the promo of the Hunger Games, Sunshine?" He asks sarcastically, I smile.

"Oh just marvellous," I reply with the worst Capitol accent ever attempted. After the giggle I ask, "is everything okay with Seth?"

"He lost both brothers to the Hunger Games, and it's the anniversary of the accident so I don't think he's in the most happy of moods." Callum replies, he never explains what this accident was, all I know is that one day Seth was a handsome young boy and next he was bandaged and stone cold. All we know is that his parents didn't make it out of this accident, and he was truly left alone. Which is quite the opposite to me and Callum, who come from the wealthier parts of this poor District with full families.

"I suppose we should be grateful that we have each-other." I give Callum a kiss and then drag him back to my house.

We sit on the chairs, watching Caesar Flickerman enjoy himself as a replay of the two boys beating each-other to death with sharpened shovels appears on the screen. Last years Hunger Games were truly brutal and I expect nothing more from them this year, and so being only five years after the previous Quarter Quell where a boy from District 12 won, the Capitol are still hoping for blood bathes. According to my father it happens a lot, a few years after the Quarter Quell things get intense but they slowly return back to a moderate level of extreme violence and bloodshed. Last year the Tributes were forced to fight in what seemed like a re-enactment of some war, they ran through trenches with barbed wire and explosions and most of the food was found in destroyed houses and vehicles, the Games only lasted a few days though due to people dieing of horrible diseases. The winner last year though was our very own Blight, born and raised in District 7.

"What do you think they'll do this year?" Callum asks as I tuck myself further into his broad chest. I shrug.

"Hopefully something to do with trees," I know I'm asking for a lot here seeing as the last few have been brutal battle grounds, "it'll give our Tributes an edge over the others." Even though I know I'm right, I still feel that this year will be the same as all the others, with a Career Tribute returning with a tally of kills longer than the blade he used the obtain them. I stop thinking of a long bloodied blade and think of what it must be like to live in the Capitol. As much as I love the trees, I do wish I could see the shining Capitol, not dull and dirty like District 3, no this the shining skyscrapers and the roaring sounds of thousands of brightly dressed people enjoying there lives, unlike so many of us in District 7. yet I can't complain, I'm sat here happily in my boyfriends arms with enough food to get by, unlike so many others in District 7. My mind returns to Seth.

**A/N: Starts off slow, I know, but don't worry we'll be getting interesting soon.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Broken Souls

I awake screaming and grasping onto the side of my bed. My bandages have come loose and I quickly tie them back up, I can't bear to see my skin after what happened. I stand and make my way to the mirror and face myself, or what people now see as my face. The black bandages wrapped so precisely so that my face is unseeable, except for my eyes which I normally cover with sunglasses, but not in the night. I stare deeply into my emerald eyes, the only part of my face that still reminds me that I am human, even though I don't let others see what really lies beneath my blackened fabric.

The next morning starts as every other morning, I wake up, eat my food by slightly moving the bandages across my face down and chew on the stale bread and dried meat that I scavenged. Brush my teeth with a small brush normally used for wood work but the hard bristles make it perfect for cleaning out my teeth. I slip into my trousers, T-shirt and boots and head to the loggers where I know Callum will be waiting for me. Sure enough he's there, my one true friend, the only person I trust with my secret.

"She's been asking about you again, my friend." Callum says with a smile as he waves to me. I shrug it off.

"She's just curious." I reply with my dark and rumbling voice, my vocal chords have never been the same since the accident and it makes my voice seems croaky and menacing. I don't mean any offence by it, but Callum understands I'm not too strong with my words.

"Yeah, but she's always been curious of you, all the girls have." He says, do I detect a hint of jealousy? "It seems everyone wants to know you because you don't want to know them."

"It's true, I don't want to know them." I snap back, now I'm sounding like the normal aggressive me. Callum let's it slide, the only reason we can get on is because of how relaxed he is. Most people would have abandoned me by now and I would truly be alone, but I think he pities me, which I hate but he's the only person who's willing to show any form understanding.

"You should try," even though I know he's right I don't think I'm ready for it yet, "I mean, is there any problems in having more than one friend?"

"Complications." I reply, even though I don't mention it, he knows I mean about losing people from the Hunger Games. An understanding creeps over his face and he invites me to walk with him towards where we'll be chopping today.

"Maybe, one day, you'll open up to the world and they'll realise just how great you really are, Seth." He has tried this with me before, trying to boost myself confidence, but I am confident, not overly confident because that leads to arrogance and arrogance gets hunters killed. I let his comment slide and continue walking, instead he speaks about everything that's been going on and I just listen, as I normally do, I silently listen his every word. This is the only way I can pick up what social skills I lost through the years of silence I endured. It's not surprise half the girls in the woods want him, he is amazing at speaking, mind you I have nothing but me to compare it off and a mute speaks with more compassion than I do.

I place my axe down and walk away into the woods, the hour everyone chooses to spend socialising between work I spend in the deep flowing river that cuts through the forest. It is truly amazing here, deep crystal water that flows so slowly it is easy to swim. Full of fish and other strange creatures and because of this natural beauty I often spend my time here, the quite allows me to rest my head and think. I remove my trousers and my top and dive into the cold water. Ever since the accident I have come to enjoy the cold and detest the heat. I swim deep under the water and let the fish circle around me, it's like glass down here and you can clearly see a hundred yards in front of you. It's creepy how clean it is actually, probably the Capitol filter the water to give clean water to all the trees. It doesn't matter, due to the lack of peace-keepers compared to the size of District 7 I am normally able to come here and fish, or deal with any animals that manage to make it over the fence. It's the only way I have been able to feed myself really, hunting with a crossbow I stole from a peace-keeper and fishing. Suddenly I hear I voice above the water, I kick off the floor of the river as sore through the water like a missile, bursting through the surface and taking a deep breath in. There stands Claire, her hair tied back behind her black tank-top and tucked into her brown cargo pants. I tilt my head slightly to show my confusion, if one thing these bandages have made me remarkably good at body language considering no one has seen my face in nine years. She waves, removes her boots and sits with feet dangling in the river. I stare at her until she finally realises what I'm trying to get across.

"Why am I here are you wondering?" She asks with a sweet smile, I have to admit, I completely understand why Callum chose her, she is truly beautiful and if I had a choice of a companion I'd choose a girl like her. I give a nod as an answer to her question as I tread the water. "Here to see you, forgive me that I followed you, I just wanted to know where you go in the afternoons.

"Does Callum know you're here?" I ask firmly, I'd prefer not to cause any complications between the three of us. She chuckles in return.

"Yes he knows I'm here, he should be arriving any time soon." She goes quiet for a second, obviously trying to find a topic to strike up a conversation between the two of us. There isn't much she'll be able to talk about, so I dive back into the water and relax as I float under the water, this must be what deaths embrace feels like, utterly peaceful. Then another, much deeper voice appears above the water and I know it's Callum. This time I slowly let myself rise to the surface of the water and poke my head out.

"You're still wearing the sunglasses?" He asks, not knowing that they are more like goggles which proves quite useful for going underwater. I nod and swim to the shore.

"I've just been trying to find a topic to discuss." She looks up at Callum and the two kiss. He joins her by the side of the pool and they sit watching me dive and duck in the water. Claire must think I'm showing off, but Callum understands that when I come here I love to test my swimming skills by diving and zipping through the water like one of the many fish. It's not long before I hear a muffled Hunger Games and I rise to the surface to hear the conversation.

"-right how they are able to take us away from our families." Claire says with a hint of disgust, I've obviously missed the first part of this conversation. "You would have thought the Hunger Games would have stopped, the rebellion was so long ago."

"I think this new Game-maker wants to show the Districts his power," Callum adds, "which will make sense why the past few Games have been so bad."

"They'll have to make them easier this year, the Capitol must be sick of the battlefield reenactments." Claire adds which is a pretty sensible comment, Capitol people are easily entertained, yet so easily bored at the same time. "They'll probably put the tributes in some horrible arena this year."

"Or the opposite." I add, leaving at that. Claire looks confused but Callum understands, years of my short comments mean he's normally able to work out exactly what I mean from a single sentence.

"He means they could make an amazingly grand arena! Full of loads of different things to amaze the Capitol, who I don't think have ever seen what a tree looks like." The two chuckle at the joke but I float here silently, I think this called third wheeling, which makes it Even more annoying that I'm third wheeling in my private space. Yet again though I let it slide, it's not my place when I normally sit in silence anyway, I'm starting to understand what Callum means by me speaking my mind more, but I choose not to. Instead I climb out of the river, dry myself off with a serious shaking and put my clothes on, I know it won't be long till I have to get back and the peace-keepers are lean with me so I'd prefer not to push my luck. I give the two lovers a nod and make my way into the trees and towards the lumber camp where I'll be working for the rest of the day.

I lay in bed, my bandages still on, I can't face my skin after the fire consumed the top right hand of my body and sleep always seems to consume me in a nightmare of uselessness as I see the faces of my family members screaming. Truly I am the definition of a broken man, and then the thought of the Hunger Games creeps up on me and I sink further into my tattered quilt that lies on a broken mattress on the floor of my hut. I remove my sunglasses and place them next to my bed and rest my head on the folded animal fur which I use as a pillow. My mind is full of conflicting images and as I slip away from my fragile reality my mind is circling with images of war and fire.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, sorry if it may seem confusing but just to clarify now you've been introduce to both characters, the story will jump between these two. So one chapter will be Claire then the following will be Seth, hope you enjoyed it!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Hunter In Bandages

I wake with a stretch and slide out of my bed, after yesterday all that's been on my mind is Seth. He amazes me, not the same way Callum does, but there's something about his dark personality and his undying loyalty to Callum that shocks me. What was he like before the accident? I only saw him briefly because he was in the class above me and Callum but he was handsome for a young boy at the time, he was chatty and witty, the exact opposite to what he is now. Now he's described as the "hunter in bandages" by all the girls in school, everyone knows he hunts the animals that enter the District, and this Independence only makes him more compelling. Maybe one day we'll discover what lies beneath the black bandages he hides behind so well, but there's no point in dwelling on it. I have to finish off some work in the lumber mill.

It's peaceful in the lumber mill in the mornings, we all share a glass of water and then silently chop for an hour. This silence just allows everyone to reflect on what's been going on the past few days and, although it's hard work, I prefer being out in the woods than stuck in a hut shaping wood into furniture. It makes me think of the Capitol, and all their glory, whilst we have towering trees they have towering stone buildings and as much as I would love to see them, I know that only if I was selected as Tribute would I see such marvellous buildings. So I quietly wish not to see the Capitol, I think I prefer the forest anyway. As I finish my wish Callum and Seth walk by.

"Morning, Sunshine." Callum starts and plants a kiss on my lips, sending a tingle down my spine. "ready for another day at the lumber mill?" He asks with a smile, I nod.

"Yeah," I turn to Seth, curious to see if I can pry open the personality he has shut down, "you going to be working with us today?" He shakes his head,pulls a wooden crossbow from behind his back and walks off into the woods. I won't be seeing him for the rest of the day. Yet I will be seeing Callum, and with the Reaping coming up soon I want to spend as much time with him as possible, even some time with Seth just in case one of us gets taken away by the Capitol. I think for now I'll just chop wood alongside my boyfriend, and enjoy the time I spend in his company.

"You ain't getting nothing from him, my girl." Callum says with a chuckle. I frown at him and he gives a sheepish grin. "If you're curious about the accident and why he wears the bandages you'll have to ask him."

"Yeah," I sigh, "but he isn't going to answer to me is he?" I turn my head away from Callum and continue chopping the wood. I'm not mad, but I give the impression I am to try and guilt trip him. Now Callum is sighing.

"Get to know him a bit better," he smiles at me, "and then he'll tell you. I made a promise not to, Sunshine."

"Okay," I reply with a sweet smile, "but after that you tell me everything that happened."

It comes to lunch and me and Callum sit down where Seth normally visits to see if he'll turn up. Seth's hide away is so peaceful and I sit rests against Callum's chest as the dragonflies buzz down the river towards where the fish jump. Long silver fish leaping from the water and twisting like a display, the water flies from them and casts brief rainbows through the small patch of air that they engulf. It seems so romantic here, and I can see Callum is thinking to himself. He often does this, he'll go deep in thought and stare off into another world within his head. "Something bothering you?"

"Nothing," he replies, snapping out of imagination and staring into my eyes with a smile, "just thinking about something I was talking with Bandages earlier."

"Anything important?" I ask in a cheery tone, hoping that he'll let something slip. He curls his bottom lip and shakes his head.

"Nope, nothing." He says, I scowl and he gives me a wink back. I can never seem to get one over him. "Face it, babe, you ain't getting anything from me."

"Oh really?" I ask playfully and slowly rise up in front of him, trying to look as sexy as possible. He smiles, trying to hold back because he wants to show he's the alpha here, I place my lips by his ear and begin to whisper. "Is the water cold?"

"What?" Callum asks confused, his eyes widen but he's too late, I've already pushed him into the river and I'm laughing and rolling in the green spring grass. He bursts out the water in a flail of arms and splashes, half shocked half laughing. His facial expression just makes me laugh even more and he can't help but chuckle. As he swims to the shore I calm down, but suddenly I'm being dragged into the water myself and I hear him laughing as I submerge to the bottom of the river, where the many multicoloured stones line all the way down the riverbed of the glass blue river water. It's amazingly clear down here and I rise to the surface of the water with a smile on my face. The two of us tread water and splash water into each other as we circle. I can't help but feel though that we're intruding in Seth's sanctuary, even if he's not here. He's like an animal, a predator who returns to his den whenever the chance to have a moments rest after a hunt. Still me and Callum play in the water, diving to the bottom to see the different fish that swim beneath it's crystal surface. The world is so different in the water, it seems almost free, and I think this is what it must feel like to be in the Capitol. Being able to move and do what you want with no restrictions. Philosophically speaking of course, I don't believe the Capitol is anything like drowning In a river. That's another thing I need, air. I burst through the surface of the water and take in a deep breath.

"It's beautiful here." I comment, which makes Callum smiles. He swims over, kisses me, then pulls himself from the water.

"Come on," he says extending his hand to me, I grab it and he pulls me onto shore, "we need to get back to work before we get a telling off."

Chopping the lumber is hard, but it's made that little easier when a friend of mine comes skipping past after an early day from work. "Good afternoon, Claire!"

"Afternoon, Kate!" I say with a smile as she flicks her long black hair from in her light green eyes. Honestly she looks like her eyes have been modified to be that colour, but she's the only person ever, as far as I know, to have eyes like hers. "Early day?"

"Early day?" She asks with a chuckle. "We've had nothing to do! With the Games coming up everyone is focused on getting ready for them. Where's Callum and Seth?" She asks, Kate is a good friend of Callum's, and she's always had a thing for Seth since they were little. In fact before Seth's accident they were good friends.

"Callum is taking a batch over to the furniture builders, and Seth is off hunting again." I wipe my brow and put my axe down. "You nervous?"

"Nervous for the Hunger Games?" She asks with an eyebrow raised, "nah not really, my name isn't in the pot that much."

"Still, the odds may be in your favour but luck's got a big factor to this." I add, it's always concerned me just how laid back she is, or is it confident? Everyone knows that Kate is pretty much a bad-ass, I can imagine her winning if she went into the Hunger Games. "And you know what the Tributes from District's 1, 2 and 4 are like."

"Ha!" She laughs, "I'd 'ave 'em, I can take care of myself." After she says this I realise just how suiting her and Seth would be, maybe she's the ticket to getting Seth to open up to me. "Besides, would they really want to hurt a poor, innocent, young woman from District 7?" She asks in her seductive voice, which is surprisingly good.

"Yeah, they'll take advantage of you, then they'll kill you." I can't help but smile when she pretends to be offended. "Honestly, you think everything will be OK?"

"Honestly I do." She replies with a smile. I shrug.

"We'll just hav-" Before I finish my sentence a deer leaps from the bushes and stands before us. It extends it's head and it's ears prick up. We look at it in awe, a sudden swoosh fills the air and the deer falls dead.


	4. Chapter 4 - Only Human

I look up from my crossbow and admire the falling dear, Claire and Kate scream as the creatures head becomes suddenly disfigured. I smile and step from the bushes with the crossbow over my shoulder. Claire turns to me.

"What did you do that for!?" She shouts, obviously she doesn't agree with my hunting.

"First dear I've seen all year." I reply coldly. It's not true of course, I had venison for lunch two weeks ago but I'd prefer not to cause a wedge between me and Callum. Kate nods her head.

"Hell of a shot there, Bandages." She says admiring the kill. Even though I don't speak to her much I like Kate, she's a hunter, and if I had a spare crossbow I would probably give it to her to use, but even with her hunter out look on life she doesn't follow it. She seems to be rather law abiding and quiet. "I would love to see you in action."

"I wouldn't," Claire replies, she's calmed down now, she was most likely mad at the fact I fired the crossbow bolt between her and Kate. I smile beneath my bandages, I know they can't see that I enjoy scaring them but it doesn't matter, the self satisfaction of dinner and a bit of amusement is enough for me today. I stick my hatchet into the deer's ribcage and twist so that it sticks then drag the animal down the pathway towards the village.

Just before I make it to the village I pull off into the ferns, dragging the body behind me. Taking a deer through a village of starving people normally leads to a mass of "stolen-meat-theft" and this illegally obtained food is my illegally obtained food. I drag it behind the butchers. he opens his back door and his eyes widen.

"Another deer, Seth!?" He asks, he seems nothing like anyone else from the District, if anything he seemed more like someone from District 12 than 7 but I don't complain. the chubby man comes down the stairs at the back of his wooden house and inspects the carcass. "I'm quite impressed, the meat looks delicious!"

"Payment?" I ask with my arms folded, he chuckles, cuts off a back leg and hands it to me, then followed by a small bag full of vegetables and a glass of milk. "Thanks."

"You know," the butcher starts, scratching his goatee, "if it wasn't for this agreement we have, neither of us would be as big as we are!" He chuckles and drags the body into the butchers. This middle aged man has kept me alive since I lost my parents and my last brother in the same year. I can picture the Capitol rigging the Reaping tomorrow so that I will be picked, the last member of a dying family going to the arena to fight for the survival of my name and my pride. Oh how the Capitol would love that, the quiet and damaged sole survivor walking up to the podium and staring those Capitol bastards in the eyes. I shake my head clear, I don't want to go to the arena, not at all. I don't think I'd last against the Career tributes, as good as I am at fighting, which was proven in the accident, I don't know if I'll be able to deal with a trained killer. Then I think about it, why does everyone call the accident an accident? I know that the fire was started on purpose and the fight that followed wasn't through some disease making people go rampant. it was pure rage and fear pulsing as the fire engulfed the woods and the blood flowed on the floor. I hear a shout, and turn to see Kate has followed me to the butchers.

"So," she smirks as she walks from the bushes, "this is where you take your kills, and I see you get a fair deal."

"As fair as I can." I reply, watching her like a hawk. her dark personality attracts me greatly but I'll never admit it, I don't want to risk getting too attached to people anymore. She walks so close that she is mear centimetres from me.

"Well, it's the Reaping tomorrow," she runs her hand along the bandages at my face, "are you alone this evening?" I grab her wrist and pull her hand down.

"Yes I am." I reply coldly, I'm not interested in spending my night with her, no matter how tempting it is she won't see beneath the bandages. Which I know is what she's trying to do. She smiles and looks at her feet.

"Come on," she runs her hands down her curves, "I know you want me really."

"Do I?" i reply coldly and stare her in the eyes, it's better to make her not interested in me at all considering nothing is ever going to happen between us. She scowls.

"Fine, but if you get selected tomorrow don't say i didn't want to give you a night to remember." She storms off down the way she came. Whilst most men would call me mad i feel a small sense of triumph. Self-control is something I've learnt very well over the years and I'm glad that I have, otherwise I wouldn't have lasted this long.

The walk through the town was swift to get to my small shack, plenty of hungry people looking over at me with my food, but at the moment I may seems selfish but I'll show them later. I open my door and grab a big metal pot I found previously, this when Callum walks in.

"You ready?" He asks, with two massive plastic containers of water, I nod, he fills the pot full of water and gets a fire going. Both us begin chopping vegetables and the leg of venison, sticking it all in the massive pot and waiting for the water to boil. I show Callum the milk and his face lights up. "Real cow's milk!?"

"Real." I reply and hand him the bottle, he glugs down half of it and leaves the rest for me. I place it on the counter and he raises his eyebrow.

"Not gonn-" He cuts short. "Don't want me seeing the scars I'm guessing?" I shake my head in reply, but he mentions nothing bad of it. Yet again his is the only person who understands that I don't want the world to see how damaged I truly am. It takes a few hours for the stew starts bubbling and Call um gives a smile. he opens the door and shots at the top of his voice. "STEW'S UP KIDS!"

A series of screams follows as about twenty children come running to the house, all with little bowls. They line up and Callum chuckles as he retrieves the giant wooden spoon. This is a tradition that me and Callum have kept going since my parents died, they would always store food away for the day before the Reaping, then the kids under the age of ten would come and we've serves them a massive helping of stew. Of course, with my illegal hunting it's now made the stew even more popular. We give each child a serving of stew, then we sit around a fire in front of the house while Callum tells the same stories every year. One of how we fought against the Capitol many years ago, another about my parents and how they started this tradition, then he tells the story of my accident and every years I leave this part to fill the children's bowls with seconds. Following this little anti-Capitol propaganda part which he seems to not realise he's doing, he gets his home made guitar and the children all take tuns to sing songs. A young girl comes up to me and asks about my bandages, I give her a bowl of soup and tap her on the head.

"Perhaps another time, Sapling." I reply and the girl runs off. Other Districts always find it strange the some people of District 7 choose to refer to children as Saplings, but I always thought it was suiting considering we spend nearly all of our lives surrounded by trees. Following the "feast" the parents of the children come, thank us and leave to prepare for the games tomorrow. Many of them have older children who will be at risk. I look at Callum and he looks at me we do this every year. I shake his hand.

"May the odds..."

"...be ever in your favour." I finish. Silently he turns and returns home. I finish my milk and what little is left of the stew and climb into my bed. I know tonight my bothers will be in my dreams and I prepare for a night of horror and watching there deaths over and over again.


	5. Chapter 5 - Luck of the Draw

I awake shivering, Callum roles over next to me and presses his hand gently against my face. It's the day of the Reaping and I know what's coming, two of us here will be forced to fight to death in an arena soon I pray that it isn't me. Callum is already putting on his best clothes and next to me he has laid my only dress, it's not the best condition but it's better than my normal clothes. I slip into the dress and a pair of rough shoes then turn to Callum. He smiles at me, in his tattered suit.

"Beautiful, Sunshine." He says with a smile, but I can tell that he's nervous. I kiss him and lead him downstairs to where my family are seated.

"Ready, my dear?" My Father asks. I smile at him as he brushes me off. My mother smiles and rushes me out of the door. Both of them can't bare to face me, not because of anything wrong I've done but because they know this may be my last day in District 7. All the eligible children and teenagers make their way to the Justice building where we are sorted into groups. I come to a woman who asks for my finger and name. Following giving them to her I am shepherded into a massive group of girls my age. Kate is standing next to me, she looks slightly excited.

"Did you get with him?" I ask, she frowns as me, obviously Seth shot her down like one of his deers. Then a man in a black suit with a dark green shirt comes onto stage. He's the escort for the unlucky Tributes of District 7. He's a dark skinned man who always dyes his hair dark green and in a ponytail and he also wears dark green eye liner, trying to show that he's proud to represent District 7. Our mayor steps forward, gives a speech, we listen to how naughty we were when we killed off half the Capitol and that the Hunger games reminds us how we were arses but I really couldn't care. I am far to nervous for a history lesson. Then the escort steps forward.

"Welcome all!" he bellows, his low rumbling voice echoes through the courtyard in front of the Justice Building. "As you know I am Amor Pantera and I wish you all a happy Hunger Games!" The silence that follows is so thick you could cut it from the air with a spoon. I look over at Callum from across the courtyard and find him looking back at me. Next to him is Seth, still wearing the same clothes and the bandages with the glasses.

"This year should be a very special year for District 7 and i will try my best to get your victor home to the lovely people of District 7!" I have to give it to this man, he doesn't sound like he's from the Capitol by accent but you know he is by his positive out look. "May the odds be ever in your favour! Now, ladies first." He walks over to the bowl full of names dives his hand into the bowl and retrieves a name. "Claire Green!"

"What?" I can't help but say, I know I've gone pale and my hands are clenched. Kate pulls me in for an embrace before I march myself slowly to the podium, tears building in my eyes. I look around and everyone is staring at me with lumps in their throats, I stare over at Callum who has a tear running down his face, I'm not making it back from this year's Games. Amor helps me up the stairs and stands me to his left. I stare over at all my friends and family as they try not to cry in front of all of Panem. Tears role down my face as Amor moves onto the list containing the boys. He places his hand in and withdraws another name.

"Callum Jones!" He shouts cheerily, and then I break down, as Callum marches himself to to podium. I will have to go to battle against my own boyfriend and I know all of Panem can see us now. Suddenly a voice picks up.

"I volunteer!" It echoes and i see Seth standing in the corridor of people, Callum turns in shock as Seth power walks down the row of gasping people. He grabs Callum's forearms, says something then sends him into the crowd. Callum starts objecting but he's dragged away by the peacekeepers. "I volunteer myself as tribute!"

"Oh! We have a volunteer ladies and gentlemen!" Amor seems excited, but you can tell by his face that he finds Seth a bit odd. Amor extends a hand but Seth rejects it and takes his place to my right, he stands rigid, straight and slightly defiant. Amor grabs our wrists and lifts them into the air, but Seth pulls away and stares Amor in the eyes, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. "THIS YEAR'S TRIBUTES!" He shouts and the peacekeepers take us into the Justice Building.

I wait in the marble and wood room, soon some has to visit me someone has to because I'm on the verge of a breakdown, again. My family storm into the room and I'm surrounded by cuddles and kisses goodbye. They leave as quick as they arrive and I feel alone again, then Callum bursts through the door. I run into his arms and he holds me tight.

"You'll be OK, just stay alive."

"Stay alive?! I ask with tears in my eyes. "I'm up against people like Seth! How am I going to stay alive through that?"

"Just trust me, you'll be fine," we kiss and then a peacekeeper takes him away, "I love you!"

"I-" Don't get chance to finish my sentence. Instead I rest my head against the door and start crying. Then Kate steps through. She holds me and gives me a golden rope necklace.

"It's all I have of my mother," she says, "keep it."

"Thank you," she embraces me again and then runs out of the room starting to cry. I sit on the purple velvet chair and wait to be called. I wonder what Seth must be thinking now? All I can think of is how am I supposed to kill Seth? Or a Career? I have no chance! rage fills me and I smack the chair, maybe I do have a chance actually, maybe there is a fighter in me.

Then a peacekeeper opens the door and I'm escorted into a train, marvellous and very fancy. Complete with tables, bars, buffets and everything else I can think of. I find Seth sitting in a chair, looking through the window as the train leaves District 7. Goodbye home. I sit opposite Seth, who continues to stare. Next to us sits our escort.

"Excited are you both? This is truly a great honour and-" I ignore the rest of his prepared speech, and it seems so does Seth. When he finishes the bandaged man turns his head.

"That sounds prepared." He adds coldly. Amor frowns, obviously these two aren't going to get on, I step in before Seth can make him even more mad.

"It was lovely though," Seth turns his head and i can tell he's glaring at me through his glasses, "do you know where our mentor is?"

"Oh! Blight should be around here somewhere, he won last year you know!" Amor gets up and goes looking for Blight. I'm glad to be alone with Seth so I can discuss what we're going to do.

"I'm guessing we're teaming up for the first part of the arena." I ask, he nods, "but for how long will we be working together?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." He replies in his normal cold voice. I'm surprised that he volunteered to be here, loyalty normally goes right out of the window when it comes to the Games but Seth took Callum's place. I want to ask him why but I know I won't get an answer from him, not now at least. The doors open and Blight walks through, he's an average looking man, being that he has just turned nineteen. He smiles at us both and squats between the two chairs.

"Pleasure to meet you both," he begins, "and I'm sorry for both of you."

"It's OK" I reply with a sweet smile, getting Blight onto my team might increase my chances of survival. "So what do we need to do, Blight? You did win this thing after all."

"Well for starters you'd need to know that your other mentor has been taken ill and won't be here these Games, she knew what she is doing but this is my first year mentoring," this doesn't inspire me with confidence but I let my anxiety stay within me, "but I know what I'm doing and I'll help you out in what way I can." He speaks in a calming voice, and even though he may be new to mentoring I think we may just have a chance.

"Give us the run down." Seth says, turning all of hit attention to Blight. Blight raises an eyebrow when looking at Seth.

"What's with all the bandages?"He asks extending his hand towards Seth, Seth grabs his wrist and twists. Blight responds twisting Seth's wrist behind his back and throwing him to the ground. Seth breaks free, spins around on his back and locks his legs around Blight's neck, the knocks me off my chair and Seth's chair flies backwards. Blight roles forward and pins Seth to the floor by slamming his shoulders to the ground with his knees. Blight smiles as he places a butter knife from the table behind against Seth's neck. Amor runs into the room to find Seth gives a low chuckle, Seth is laughing? What the hell is going on here?

"What are you doing!?" He asks in frustration. "You're making a bad example for the staff of this fine train!" Blight laughs.

"I'm just inspecting the Tributes," he says twisting the butter knife, "and so far I'm feeling quite confident."

"I'm not." Seth replies, I can't help but laugh as Blight helps Seth to his feet. I'm surprisingly relaxed for the situation I am in, but it could be because I'm focusing. This normally happens when I'm set on doing something. Blight eyes Seth up and down.

"You have potential, Mummy." He says with a smirk. Blight then turns to me. "I've yet to see you in action, but I have seen you cutting wood, and you have that look to me that means you got fire, girl." Blight folds his arms and leans back on one leg. He nods. "I think we may just win another Hunger Games."

"We will win this year's Hunger Games." Seth replies confidently and looks over at me, I feel a chill running down the back of my spine and a sense of fear. I'm not afraid of the Careers, the Capitol, the mutations or the idea of any other death now. What i am afraid of is the born killer that stands in front me, and he knows what it means to end a life.


	6. Chapter 6 - Secrets

I awake in a comfortable bed still on the train, it wasn't a nightmare then, and I did volunteer for Callum for the Hunger Games. I said my final goodbyes to everyone who turned up, which was Callum, Kate and the butcher, and I had prepared to fight to the death for something else. Yet again I'm on a mission and I know that this time I will redeem myself for my past failures.

The shower is warm and I remove the bandages and let the water run through the many folds in my damaged skin, it feels strange to have warmth on my face that isn't a burn but I relish in the feeling. It's been so long since I've removed my bandages that I had forgotten just how damaged my body really was. I inspect my arms, my left being healthy and strong where as my right arm is just as large but looks like a poorly cooked piece of meat, and I hate it. I let the mirror steam up so i don't see my reflection, but I can still see the outline of my bald head, the only part undamaged and still of the old Seth is my emerald eyes. But that Seth is long gone, and he's been replaced with a stone cold hunter, and my next prey will be my fellow Tributes. I put my bandages and sunglasses back on and then my normal clothes. Leaving the room I find Claire leaning against the windowsill as the world passes, I lean beside her.

"Good morning, Seth." She says, looking forward. I nod in return but say no words. It's going to be hard speaking to her until we get into the arena where we won't have time for words. "You excited?"

"No," I reply in my normal tone which makes her chuckle, "how are you?"

"How am I?" She asks with a deflated laugh, obviously she isn't taking this situation very well. "I feel like hell, Seth, I miss my family, I miss Callum, shit I even miss Kate." Her change in words surprises me, she has never even got close to swearing in front of me before. Perhaps there is a fighter in her after all, which will make my life far easier. Yet then again these are just words, and words are hollow without the force to follow them through. She sighs. "How are you? Are you holding up?"

"Fine." I reply, which isn't a lie surprisingly. I would have thought I'd be a nervous wreck but the nightmares have stopped since I volunteered, what is happening to me? i shake my head clear as Blight appears behind the two of us.

"Come one, breakfast is ready." And he leads us both towards the dinning table where a mixture of different foods have been placed on the table, Blight sits at the end while me and Claire sit opposite each other yet next to him. Blight grabs what he calls a Full English and begins eating. "You two should eat up, you're going to want to put as much weight on for the arena as possible."

"Wouldn't that slow us down?" Claire asks, pulling a plate full of a mixture of vegetables and strips of meat to her, I do the same and happen to agree with her on this point.

"Yes, to start off it will, but you two will be working together to find a stable source of food and water, and that can take a while." Blight says through a mouth full of food. " And a stable source of food depends on what environment you guys are being put in."

"Any ideas?" I ask, pulling down the bandages in front of my mouth so i can eat. This instantly grabs Claire's attention who has never seen me eat before. I must be seen a machine to them.

"Well they've overplayed the battlefield card so I hope that it will be something more rural this year." Me and Claire give a confused look. "Rural, as in more countryside than city scape."

"Ahh I get what you mean," Claire says stuffing her mouth full of food, "so that means there's a high chance we'll have wildlife to kill."

"Not always, some areas may have no food potential at all, it's to force the Tributes to get into close proximity with each other," Blight says pointing with his fork, "it's how they get people into fights, they force you into it."

"Clever." I add as I eat another slice of pork. Blight laughs, he seems to admire me, whether that's good or bad is a different story.

"What's your story, Mummy?" He asks look at me, I don't understand why he's comparing me to his mother but just shake my head in reply. Claire chuckles.

"Only person who could get anything out of him was my boyfriend." She croaks up a bit at the mention of Callum, but I can't blame her. I just sit in silence.

"So you two knew each other before all this happened?" Blight asks stuffing more boar meat into his mouth. Claire frowns.

"I tried to know him," she looks up at me and I stare into her eyes, "but I could never get him to talk."

"He was talking then." Blight retorts, Claire laughs.

"I mean talk as in... A proper conversation." She says, them talking about me as if I'm not here is slightly annoying but yet again I let it slide. Claire looks back up to me. "You have been through so much and yet you never mention it."

"Never will." I reply coldly. Blight turns to me.

"You do realise that you're damaged back story could get you sponsors?" Blight says, this catches my attention. "If you let on in the interviews that you have had to do so much to survive in you're District then people will be sympathetic to you." This makes me snap and I raise from my chair and slam my fists on the table, I stare Blight in the eyes but he looks at me with dead eyes.

"I don't want there sympathies." I state harshly and removed myself from the room.

It doesn't take long for me to find myself at the end of the train. Watching the world go by. I get a sense of clarity here as I watch the trees fly past me. It reminds me of home, but these aren't the same trees. I'm used to the tall towering trees that reach high into the sky. Where these are far smaller trees that grow out not up. I think of how Callum is doing now, his best friend and girlfriend are bring forced into an arena to fight to the death, and only one of us is coming home. The door opens behind me and Blight stands beside me.

"I remember being like you when I went into the arena," he begins and I know I'm in for a speech. "I didn't want the sympathies of these Capitol bastards either, but I understood that if I didn't have it I wouldn't be getting out of there."

"Who says I'm getting out." I reply still looking forward, I know this has made Blight rethink his speech, I don't think he has seen a Tribute as prepared to die as me.

"I say you're getting out," Blight snaps back, "even though Claire is the nicer of the two of you I have to look at this logically. She's a talker, not a fighter. Where is you have a stone cold killer in you, even if you don't see it everyone else does."

"Shame he's a terrible orator." Amor comments from behind us, making both me and Blight turn in surprise. "Where as Claire is very different, I think she'll manage the speeches and negotiations perfectly, you on the other hand."

"Are pretty much screwed." Blight adds, yet another jab at me, what are they trying? "You open that gob of yours and learn to speak and you can get loads sponsors, you are going to be the most intimidating and mysterious Tribute there, and the Capitol girls are suckers for a mystery man."

"Ahhh yes," Amor adds, "I remember my younger days, where I was the strapping young man who went to the Districts to-"

"Shut up, you weren't strapping!" Blight jests poking his tongue out, I can't help but chuckle as Amor looks genuinely offended. "See kid, you show more emotion than just hate and you're chances are going to go through the roof."

"Blight, there's something I need to speak to you about." For once I let my shielding crack as I remove my sun glasses and stair Blight in the face, what comes next isn't going to be easy.


	7. Chapter 7 - Parading Through The Streets

Seth walks in from the back of the Train just as we pull into the Capitol, something seems different about him, his normal upright and very defencive posture has been replaced with a slight slouch and his shoulders are slightly lower. Following him are both Blight and Amor, they both look slightly off as well and I'm sure something has happened, but at the end of the day I don't need to know what's happening with them, only how I'm going to survive. So I watch in wonder as the rolling countryside escapes from view and the shining city appears. I can't help but admire it's glory, and feel slightly petrified of how powerful that city really is. Yet I also can't enjoy it's full glory because I can't help but find some thing's wrong with Seth, maybe now is my chance.

"Is everything okay?" I ask him, he looks at me and his bandages by his cheeks adjust slightly. Did he just smile at me?

"Everything is fine," he replies, seeming slightly more human than normal, then we pull into the station and he stiffens up and folds his arms. "Your crowd awaits."

"Yes, it does." I say smiling as I wave at all the passing people of the Capitol in all their strange colours, all cheering to see last year's winner and his Tributes. I smile, wave and blow kisses. I'm going to need as many sponsors as possible and the friendlier I am the more people will support me. Seth on the other hands stands silent and rigid, staring down who ever he can. As the train pulls to a stop Blight and Amor join us to be escorted by Peacekeeper to where we'll meet our stylists.

Wax, make-up, scissors nearly everything I've ever heard that goes into a Capitol woman's handbag is in this surgery, which is what our styling room is. They rip all the hair from my legs, tie my hair is several knots testing it out and even starting messing around with my naked body, and I hate it. it feels a massive breach of privacy, actually it is a massive breach of privacy but I shut up and deal with, I need those sponsors. My prep team is made of all girls, who seem to have changed their hair colour to different shades of green to show that they are representing District 7. As much as I admire they're commitment I hate that they see this as a game, it's a death match not a game. It's not long though before the torment is over and I'm laid, naked yet again, in a small room on a bed and wait for my Head Stylist to come and see me. When she walks in I recognise her instantly and I know exactly what's going to happen at the Tribute Parade, I'm going to be a tree...

"Well, I think I over did the tree thing last year, which was my first year, Darling, and considering I'm styling for my last time this year I best not do anything wrong." My stylist, Cassia, says to me. Last year she made the girl with Blight look like a Holly bush. "I think this year I'll make you more of a flower."

"Couldn't I just wear normal clothes?" I ask in despair, the Tribute Parades are normally cringe worthy to watch and I really don't want to be shown all over Panem dressed like a dandelion.

"Of course not, Darling, don't be silly we need you to stand out!" She says with a huge smile that makes me feel uncomfortable. "I think I can design a dress, covered in rose petals that brings out you're curves... That should get the eye of the male sponsors." Great, so now I'm being sold out as a sex object. She scurries off in her green high heels and green dress with rose red hair and I don't see her for another ten minutes until she returns with a simple training suit with the number seven on it. "Here, you'll need this for tomorrow."

"Thank you, Cassia" I say with a sweet smile, she smiles back and scurries off. Leaving me to put the training suit on, which is surprisingly comfortable. I then place on the black socks and boots that are given to me and a pair of Peacekeepers lead me to her office, which is a room with a view of the Capitol through a window and a semi circle of cream leather chairs along a huge table with food set out for us. I can't help but look amazed, Cassia invited me to sit and picks up a drawing pad and begins sketching.

"The tree thing has been overdone, darling, and there is no one to blame but me!" She says with a frown. "So this year you'll be a rose, you'll be a beautiful rose among all these weeds, pretty yet vicious!" Upon her saying this I can picture my in a suit made of thorns, but instead I smile, I need her on my side.

"What do you have planned?" I ask, taking a slice of chicken from the table, she grins but carries on drawing. This doesn't inspire my with confidence, but what she shows me next is the design of an elegant dress that I could never dream of wearing in any District. It's long, and dark green, the back of the dress splits into two long pointed fabric that would run outside the chariot. The dress is tight fitting and my breasts would be turned into roses and a tiara of thorns would be made for me. Very elegant I must admit, Callum is going to feint when he sees in on the big screen. I smile at Cassia and she knows this is what I want.

"Right," she starts, "when you're on the chariot I want you stand in front of Seth and act overly friendly." I raise an eyebrow, this isn't what normally happens.

"What's Seth going to do?" i ask, Cassia frowns a bit, some thing's going on that I don't know about.

"He'll be standing behind you," she stands and tries to do a masculine pose, "and considering we don't have much skin to work with we've made him look like a dark, burnt and damaged tree that will stand towering behind you, as if to show that District 7 has both the nicest and the meanest Tributes going!" She got into that a bit too well if you ask me.

"And the point of this is?" I ask, they're making us seem like a team when we are clearly not. "he's just going to kill me in the arena so why do I have to work with him?"

"To get sponsors, Darling!" Cassia replies, making me feel a bit stupid, she leans back in her chair. "Besides that boy won't kill you, from what I've seen of him he's damaged not broken, killing you would break him."

"Oh?" I say sarcastically. "And what makes you think this?"

"Blight was like it last year." She replies, this catches me off guard. I know Blight and Seth were similar but not that similar. "Blight was more talkative though, Darling, he just seemed like a normal Tribute, nothing special."

"You thought he wouldn't make it?" I ask with a frown, this catches cassia off guard and she sighs.

"I honestly thought he wouldn't make it." She says with a look of regret, maybe she feels bad for condemning him. "I thought that the girl would make it, she was an axe wielding fighter, Darling, where as Blight was a far more agile fighter."

"What did happen last year?" I ask sheepishly, I missed most of the Games because I was too busy working. Cassia raises an eyebrow.

"You didn't see it?" She asks with what may be a look of disgust. "Where Blight and the girl were attacked by giant lizards and it ended with Blight being able to out run them, but she didn't, Darling." My face drops at this point. I realise that Blight didn't win because he was the best fighter, he won because he could get away the quickest. This means that it doesn't always come down to combat and I may be able to win against Seth after all, I just need to out wit him.

"Good," I reply, "that means he didn't have to kill her."

"Wasn't as entertaining to watch though, Darling." Cassia mutters as she stands up and trots out of the room. I keep forgetting that the Capitol see this as a TV show and not a fight for survival. It was a few hours later when Cassia returns with the most stunning Dress I have ever seen.

Waiting at my chariot in my dress is so nerve racking. I get to inspect the other Tributes and it's mainly the ones from District 2 that catch my eye. The boy, massive, as wide as Callum and taller by about three inches than Seth. He wears what seems like golden chain-mail with black metal armour pieces and the girl alongside him wears something very similar. It's boy though who really captures me, he is handsome I'll give him that, he seems like the perfect boy for anyone in any District, but there's something about his eyes that have the look of a stone cold killer. Seth walks up beside me and I look amazed. Where his bandages normally are have been replaced with what gives the impression of burnt wood that reveals no skin, only black lumps of wood with red vein like things that skim through it. The rest of him is covered in a base layer of wood with vines and spikes going over it, except for the "good" half of his torso which left open to show his muscular frame. He stares at me through his sun-glasses.

"Ready?" He asks, I can't tell if he's smiling now because the bandages have been replaced with the burnt wood like material, it's amazing how much he actually looks like burnt wood though.

"Not really," I say and sigh, "you look amazing."

"I think you have beaten me here." He says with a tone of voice not his own, his armour is starting to crack and that soul that lies inside him is coming out. He climbs onto the chariot and extends his hand to help me up, which I accept. Then he stands behind me with his arms folded, making me seem tiny. His boots are obviously meant to make him seem larger, but honestly I think it's the people from District 1 and 2 that are going to you win this. They are covered in the most expensive materials in Panem, I mean I know District 2 get privileges but this year they seem to have even more. What's so special about the boy from District 2?

The chariot starts off and both me Seth stumble a little as the horses pull away, but we quickly regain our footing. When we go through the massive archway and see the long road ahead of us with the crowds on the stands next to us I can't help but cheer happily. This is amazing and I instantly start waving and acting very friendly, smiling and jumping around. That's when I notice my dress is letting off little rose petals and I twirl to let them flow over the side of the chariot. The crowd love this, but half of them are focused on us the other half are focused on Districts 1 and 2. Then the burned parts of Seth are glowing, all the red veins are giving the illusion he's been recently burnt and he stands straight and defiant. I can't help but be dazed at how dangerous and powerful he looks, but I quickly snap out of it and keep waving. As the horses pull up in front of the massive white tower I can't help but feel slightly intimidated. The sun is roaring in the sky and standing in with no cover is starting to get to all the Tributes. Then, on top of his magnificent podium stands President Snow, a middle aged man with a snare that could turn milk to cheese in an instant. He makes a long speech, claiming how lucky we are and how evil are ancestors were for rising up against the Capitol. Then the anthem plays and we all stand rigid, the camera go around to each Tribute but most of them are focused on District 2. And I have to say it doesn't surprise me. They are the most amazing looking here, then the horses lead us through the massive doors into the training centre, our home for the next few days. As the horse pulls to a stop we are engulfed by prep teams.

"You did amazing!" most of them are saying, it's true me and Seth got our fair share of screen time but I've noticed how nearly all the other Tributes are glaring at District 2. Then I notice Seth and the boy from District 2, they both stare at each other with eyes that could turn water to ice, or at least i think Seth is giving that look. Obviously these two are going to be at each others throats when we get into the arena. Seth walks over to the boy from District 2 and he walks over to Seth.

"Not too shabby," he says with a tone of arrogance, "but I'm afraid gold is far more valuable than charcoal."

"Not as valuable as a knife." Seth replies, he's trying to intimidate everyone and it seems to be working on every other Tribute except this one.

"It's mandatory to know the name of your first victim in my District," he starts, Seth tenses, not through fear but more that he's trying to hold back his fists, " I am Ludo, son of the mayor of District 2. The best District. And you are?"

"Seth." He replies in his normal cold voice. The more heartless Seth seems the more Ludo is going to want to kill him by the looks of it. I wonder if this is what Seth is planning? Yet the more I look at Ludo the more it looks like Seth is going to get destroyed by this monster of a boy.

"Strange name I must admit." Ludo replies, the irony is quite thick in that comment. "Well it was good to meet you, Seth. I look forward to seeing your name on my victim's list."

"Perhaps." Seth replies and two walk away from each other.

"What are you doing?" I whisper to him as we walk back to the chariot. By the looks on both of our prep team's faces they think he's acting like a fool.

"He's going to be supported by the Capitol." Seth whispers back, this is the most I've ever heard him speak. "He's confident, big, strong and has connections. He's also a Career Tribute so any members of the Capitol who don't support us under-dogs are obviously rooting for him." Then it hits me, how to get Seth to talk. The only time Seth talks is when he's needed to speak. I need to to start asking him more relevant questions if I intend on breaking down that barrier he's established.

"And how did you work that out?" I ask, I feel stupid asking because most of that I can tell but I want his point of view on it.

"He's arrogant, and he's well built. The Capitol have always gone for people like him in the past. Also look at the other Tributes." he points at all the other Tributes who are still staring at District 2. "They're scared of him already, it's going to reflect in training and in the interviews so we need to make ourselves look defiant."

"Did Amor tell you all this? Blight maybe?" i ask, this is an actual question now because he seems to know far too much about this pre-selection point. He turns away.

"The Games are a family curse." He replies with his usual cold voice, I completely forgot about his two brothers, I understand why he did all this training and hunting. As well as to get food maybe he truly believed he would be stuck in this arena one day. Or did he plan on volunteering on behalf of someone? It would make sense, he's been far more relaxed since he's entered the Games. Maybe they are like the river, a feeling of escape? Which would be odd considering the arena is a massive death trap. We then follow our prep team back to our rooms.


	8. Chapter 8 - Making Allies

The elevator doors open and I feel amazed by what the Capitol have done to this place. Claire runs off into the living room part of the flat and starts inspecting everything, what amazes me more is that, even though we're not in the penthouse, they have a tree growing inside by the window, with a two metre patch grass surrounding it. I instantly lean on the tree and slide down it with a massive smile on my face, but they all can't see it. Amor walks over to us.

"How do you like you're apartment!?" He shouts with a massive grin, odd that he calls it an apartment and I call it a flat, It rest my head and close my eyes against the tree whilst Claire excitedly jumps around. Then Amor mentions her room and she runs off up a small flight of stairs and into her room. I'm surprised how happy she is but I'm not complaining, a bit of happiness wouldn't go a miss here. Blight comes and sits next to me.

"You told her yet?" He asks, I shake my head.

"I'll tell her in the arena." I reply, then Blight takes a serious note.

"What were you thinking?" He asks with a frown and I turn my head to face him. "Taunting Ludo like that!? That boy is a born and bred killer and already most of the Capitol is rooting for him."

"Oh?" I ask with a hint of curiosity. "So he represents the Capitol?"

"Well.. Kind of, he's their favourite by far." Blight catches on to me pretty quickly. "If you're gonna do this whole assassin thing against him you've got another thing coming. This guy is going to have sponsors throwing parachutes at him. Good luck getting anywhere near him."

"I'll kill him." My voice grows dark as images of blood and violence flash before my eyes. "And make all the Capitol pigs squirm."

"You're going to cause hell in the arena." Blight adds, and this makes him smile. "Make 'em all pay for it, okay?" I nod in return and then my stylist, Aleron, a tall man who wears a white suit, he has long white hair and a white beard with tanned skin, looks at me.

"You may want to get out of that," he points to me costume which i am still in, "it will play havoc with your skin if you leave it too long."

Next thing I know I find myself in the shower again, leaning against the marble tiles that have vines painted on them. The warm water soaks into my skin and I love the feeling, it reminds me of the river back home, which I will never swim in again. It's time like this where I let my defencive barriers down and silently tears streak from eyes. It used to happen back home, I used to stand in the rain because no one would know that I was actually crying myself free until the next storm. I dry myself off and fine that Aleron has left me a skin tight black fabric thing. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it's meant to cover all the areas my bandages used to except now it's more a kin tight suit. he's also left me a new pair of sun glasses, far more angular which make my look extremely intimidating. This fabric fits perfectly to my burnt skin and seems to sooth it. I have to admit, these stylists that have replaced the normal District 7 stylists due to some odd reason's are far better than who they have replaced. I mean I actually looked menacing and not like a piece of shrubbery in the Tribute Parade. I put my training suit on, it's exactly the same as Claire's, a black shirt and cargo trousers with black boots. Except on ours we have green pads sown onto our shoulders with the number seven sowed into both. I don't complain, they're actually very comfortable.

Upon leaving my room I notice that everyone is sitting in the dark green chairs except Claire. I tilt my head and Blight must know what I'm thinking, he points to the elevator and I see Claire zooming up and down the side of the building in the crystal box. Claire then steps out of the elevator with a massive smile on her face.

"That was fun!" She says and jumps onto a spare green seat. "So, what's the plan?"

"Plan is to try and train you both up in skills you're not used to on the first day." Blight says, he points at Claire. "I need to know you're skills, what you're good at and you're background."

"I'm afraid I was just a furniture maker, and a wood cutter on the side." Claire replies with a hint of disappointment, she's got nothing to be disappointed about, being able to use an axe could save her life.

"I know you were a wood-cutter and that's a good thing," Blight says, stuffing an orange into his mouth, "anything else?" She shakes her head. Then Blight turns to me.

"And what are your skills." He asks, Claire laughs and shakes her head.

"Want me to tell them?" She asks, I give her the word go by tilting my head and doing a flowing motion with my hand. "Right. He hunts, excels in hand-to-hand fighting, uses a crossbow with pin point accuracy. He's fast, strong and can use a machete and an axe. Oh, and he's an amazingly strong swimmer." This analysis of me catches me off guard, I've never used a machete in front her although I have used one before. How does she know all this?

"Impressive." Amor adds, leaning forward from his chair. "But I don't think they use crossbows in the arena do they?"

"I can request one." Blight replies. "It'll be in the training area but you need to make a good impression during the private sessions. As for an axe and machete, there will definitely be an axe in the Games and a sword can replace the machete."

"So they'll be working on survival skills the first day?" My stylists asks, leaning further back in his chair. Blight nods and picks up another orange.

"Aye the two of you will need to see the survival skills, second day I want you training weapons and third we'll see what you need to work on." Blight stands as he peels the orange. "Now it's getting late, off to bed with both of you."

The night is long and peaceful, and although I dream of the Games all I can think of is how I'm going to kill Ludo. Whether it be with a sword, axe, crossbow or even my bare hands I don't care. I just want to kill him. He's arrogant and self absorbed and I'm looking forward to when I kill him, which I will.

Not surprisingly when I wake up I'm pumped and ready for some action. I need to show I'm not a weakling and put the fear of god into the other Tributes. I leave my room with all my gear on ready. Claire is there at the table along with the rest of the team and next to her is what Blight called a full english, she points at it and I sit down. Only problem with this new mask is that I have to pull the whole thing above my mouth to eat, which reveals my burnt face. This instantly catches the attention of everyone as they watch my skin that still looks identical to burnt pig meat.

"So that's why..." Claire says muttering the rest of her sentence under her breath. I glare at her through my glasses and she instantly knows that I don't feel comfortable with everyone staring.

"So today," Blight speaks up, "I want you all working on the survival stations."

"Why don't we go to the combat stations?" I ask and look up from my food. "Why not scare out competition?"

"Yeah!" Claire supports me. "Then we can spend some of tomorrow trying to make alliances as well as learning to survive." And there it goes again, what started on the same page has made a complete U-turn.

"No." I snap.

"Yes." She snaps back which catches me off guard. There's that little spark in her showing again. "Look, you said we're going up against some mean Tributes out there, we're going to need help to bring Ludo down, and the pack of Career's that will follow him."

"She has a point." Blight adds, I go to objected but he shushes me. "Okay, change of plan. The two of you will be showing off what skills you have in the combat side of things, and I want you both to try and make friends."

"That includes you." Claire whispers in my ear as I headbutt the table.

We walk into the Training centre five minutes before ten, we wouldn't want to be late to the Training Centre. It's what I expected, loads of different stations, each with a type of theme to them. A woman in a training suit calls us all together and explains what we can and can't do. This is where I eye up the other Tributes. Claire had the idea of trying to convince members of the Career pack to join us against Ludo. Once we kill him though, everyones joined goal is gone and it'll turn into a blood bath. I stand back for a moment and watch the Tributes practising what they're good with first, which is why Claire has gone straight for the axe combat department. Then someone catches my eye. The boy from District 4, practising with his spear. He's good I'll give him that. Taking on three trainers at the same time is really something to behold. When he's finished I walk up to him, he looks at me with sad grey eyes.

"Something the matter?" I ask, he eyes me up and down, this mask thing is really going to scare off more than it's fair share of allies. He stands the same height as me but slightly thinner, he also has his top off which is a bit odd. As far as I can tell he's what would be considered handsome, very angular face with short blonde curly hair.

"Nothing really," he says with a shrug, "just pondering on life it's self and how how I could be dead in the next two weeks if I don't become good enough to stay alive." This catches me a bit off guard, which seems to be happening a lot recently. "Why are you here?"

"One, too try and recruit you." I say, this makes him smile. "And lastly because I got a deal. You teach me how to use that spear and I'll show you how to use a crossbow."

"Fair deal." He replies and I get to know this Tribute. Born and raised in district 4 and goes by the name Hasta. He volunteered to go to the Games because he lost his family in a storm which caused their deaths. So Hasta volunteered as a martyr to make his death mean something. When I pointed out all he would be was a pawn in the Capitol's games he wasn't too happy about it. Yet after an hour of spears and an hour of crossbows I grew fond of his character, and I need a suicidal maniac because it means that he won't want to go killing us any time soon. So of course, that's when I fill him in on my plan.


	9. Chapter 9 - Four's A Death Wish

I watch as Seth walks up to me. I have been training with my axe for the past two hours and I'm keen to show him my skills, he needs to see me as a competitor and not an easy target. He pulls me to one side.

"I've got us an ally." He whispers. Allies! Damn it that's what I had forgotten about! "Hasta, a boy from District 4."

"You got us a Career!?" I ask in surprise, how he managed it I'll never know. "Do you think he'll be enough?"

"Two's company, three's a crowd and four's a death wish." He replies and pulls me back to the axe centre where I was training. He points at the axe and I show him what I have learnt by sparring with the axe trainer. It takes me ten minutes of wearing the trainer down, but I manage it. That's when Ludo walks over.

"Ha! You're pathetic, girl." He says snatching the axe off me. Seth walks up to him fists clenched but I grab his wrist and pull him back. "This is fighting."

A trainer brings up a six foot long two handed sword from the rack and Ludo signals for three trainers to take there place. What comes next is both terrifying and spectacular. The trainer with a spear lunges but he grabs it, pulls the trainer towards him and spins around, smacking the trainer in the side of the head which sends him flying across the room. All the Tributes are watching this now. It's also lucky these training weapons are blunted. Ludo then throws the spear into the trainer with a sword and thrusts the weapon into the remaining trainer. All that's left are the groans from the wounded trainers as peacekeepers come and drag Ludo's victims away to be assessed by a doctor. he smiles and throws his sword behind him with ease. Seth takes a step forward but a blonde boy jumps between the two. He turns to Seth and pushes him back a few steps. This must be Hasta.

"As impressive as that was, lad." Hasta starts looking very unimpressed. "You're technique was all wrong. Hand me that spear." He picks up the spear.

"There's nothing wrong with my technique, fisherman." Ludo replies with a frown, Hasta retorts with a quick laugh.

"Of course it was you gave them a spear!" He says as he grabs the the bottom of the spear. He spins it around a few times commenting on how he holds the weapon then the end clubs Ludo across the head which causes him to fall to the floor. The peacekeepers run in and grab Ludo and drag him away kicking and flinging. "Sorry!" Hasta shouts with a smirk, I like this boy already. He shrugs to the Game-makers who are watching him with beady eyes. The Tributes disperse and Hasta comes over to join us.

"Claire." I say with a smile, Hasta grabs my hand and kisses it.

"A pleasure to meet you, my lady." He says whilst bowing, as strange as this is I find it quite flattering. Judging by Seth's head movements he's rolling his eyes. "Now, I heard we'll be kee-"

"Keeping you trained." Seth interrupts. Hasta looks confused and Seth stares at him. All of a sudden the penny drops and Hasta has a sheepish look on his face. What am I not being told? I'll have to ask Seth later, because I don't think now is the time. "Want to use a crossbow?"

"I'd love to." I reply with a smile. Even though he's keeping secrets from me it's nice to hear Seth speak and act like a normal human being. Even if he is teaching me how to use a crossbow. He goes into what he was told was the marksmanship principles, how you hold the weapon, you're body positions, you're breathing how to fire the weapon and how important it is to do the same thing every time. I have to admit he's an amazing teacher, my groupings go from not even hitting the target too all within the bulls-eye on the target within an hour. Seth says I'm a natural but I put it down to I'm willing to listen to every word he says. He then goes on to teaching me how to use an axe, his techniques are amazing and he catches the eye of most the Tributes, which he then throws both of the axes and they hit moving targets square in the middle. I can see Ludo frowning as Seth shows just how good he really is. I pick these techniques up quite quickly as well and by the time we get called for a late food I'm taking two trainers on at the same time.

I sit with Seth and Hasta as we eat our food, when Seth pulled up the front of his mask Hasta nearly fell off him chair and this just made Seth smirk. The first real smile I've ever seen from him.

"What's the plan when we start?" Hasta asks, we're both referring to Seth's judgement here because he seems to be most capable and knowledgeable when it comes to the Games.

"When we first go into the Games I want you to run." He says pointing at me, this catches me by surprise. I would have thought he'd want me to die in the bloodbath so that when he gets back to District 7 he can say to Callum he had nothing to do with my death.

"Why shouldn't I fight?" I ask with a frown, he points at the Career pack who have taken on a few members from other Districts.

"The Career's are recruiting from the other Districts this year," He says after stuffing a lump of meat into his burnt mouth, "that means we've got them scared."

"And I'm not with them either." Hasta adds, which is truly odd, what did Seth say to convince a Career to abandon the pack? "So they know we're not all weak."

"FINE!" A girl shouts from across with the Careers and sits next to us. I recognise her, the girl from District 9. She's very pale for someone who spends all their day in fields and about the same height and build as me, meaning she must of been quite well fed in her District. She stuffs a fist full of food in her mouth.

"Sorry, I've left those idiots while they argue about who get to gut you." She points at at Seth. Seth tilts his head slightly. "Oh yes everyone wants your head it seems. Oh! By the way, I'm Anona."

"Seth." Seth replies in his dark tone of voice. Obviously he doesn't want to speak to her. She frowns a bit and wipes her long red hair behind her ear.

"Odd name," she says, she's got a point there. It seems that it's only District 7 and 12 who don't go for Latin names, or at least I think that's what Amor said the language was. "Then again you tree lovers always did have odd names."

"Not as odd as yours." I reply, she frowns a bit then storms off back to the other table. Now I've made myself an enemy. Hasta laughs.

"It wasn't much of a reply." He manages to say through his giggling. "But someone clearly has anger issues."

Back in the training centre I keep getting glares off Anona, who is showing off her skills with a scythe. I ignore her and spends my time with Hasta, I feel that it'll be easier to get Seth's secret from him than Seth himself. We spend much of our time practising with several different weapons. Ranging from hammers to javelins to swords. If you can think of a weapon I had used it today. After about two hours of the two us getting to know each other and practising I ask him. "What is Seth's secret then?"

"Excuse me?" He asks with a confused expression. "You should know, he's from your District."

"You know what I mean." I snap as I stab the training dummy. "He's hiding something? Is he planning on killing me." A hint of pain seems to go through his grey eyes and I know I'm wrong, which is confusing me even more.

"He said he'd tell you in a few days." Hasta says, stabbing his training dummy with a spear, yet even that movement looks depressing. "So I'm not going to break my promise and tell you."

"Just promise me it's not something bad." I plead, Hasta frowns and his eyes seem to shine a little more.

"That depends on who's point you look at it from." Hasta replies and quickly changes the subject. We continue chatting as we train with different weapons but it's clear he isn't going to tell me. I feel slightly betrayed that Seth is keeping secrets from me, but he doesn't seem to be plotting to bump me off with some amazingly cunning back stab, then what is it that's so bad I need to be kept away from it? All I can think in my head is that Hasta and Seth have come up with a very complicated and very dangerous plan to bring Ludo down and they don't think I can keep up, but that wouldn't explain why Hasta seems depressed every time I mention it. Seth returns after he has spoken to nearly all the Tributes, all the others have either decided to go solo or join Ludo in his crusade.

"No luck getting more for our pack?" I ask with a small bit of hope. He shakes his head and Hasta sighs.

"This ain't going to be easy, my friend." He says, I can tell he means more than just killing Ludo. Seth sighs and nods his head in agreement, then they both turn to look at me. "Think you're ready?"

"I don't think I'll ever be ready." I reply with a croak in my voice, the odds are not in our favour.

**A/N: Slightly shorter than normal I know but don't worry, the Games are coming soon!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Unwanted Attention

I sit at the table with Blight opposite me.

"So I heard you managed to get an an ally, Seth." Blight says, I smirk, they all can see this because my mask is up over my mouth as I eat.

"Only one. Hasta." I reply. Blight chuckles a little.

"How did you convince him?" He asks with a concerned face. "Did you tell him your plan?"

"Told him everything." I say with a smile. Blight looks confused then I explain how Hasta lost his family and he's looking for an honourable death. Blight frowns at this point, no seventeen year old boy should want to die but it happens.

"These Games are sick." He proclaims, standing up and walking out the room to the elevator. My stylist sits in his place.

"You've only got three more days after this one." He says, I look up at him from my food. He looks even more serious than I do with his long white hair and white beard. "I want to talk to you about the costume you'll wear."

"Aleron." I start. "I want to look petrifying."

"Take the mask off then." Aleron replies with a smile, I shoot him a glance and he stops laughing. "We'll hide your scars, but I think then that a suit of leather armour might work. I know we want to make you appear like a machine than a human being." Machine...

"If you think that it'll work." I reply and continue eating. Aleron frowns, he's disliked my attitude since I told him I didn't want one of his poorly designed costumes, he sure showed me up.

"Cassia has a far easier job with the girl." He says grabbing an orange. What is it with my team and eating oranges? "You need to communicate with me if you want sponsors."

"I don't want sponsors." I snap back, me and my stylist aren't going to get on very well over the next few days. He glares at me, for an older man though he is surprisingly threatening which impresses me greatly, whether he can see it on what I'm showing of my destroyed face I don't know.

"You'll get those sponsors to keep your team alive, you selfish pig," He says and storms off. This hits deep, am I really being selfish? Is everything I'm doing really all for my own reason? I wouldn't have thought so, I mean with what I have planned maybe but not taking Callum's place in the arena, or was it all a lie I told myself? I shake my head clear of it and take the elevator up to the roof. It's only half eight in the morning so Claire still isn't up yet, she normally enjoys lying in because she believes that the more sleep she gets the better. I find The girl from District 12 up here staring over the balcony. She notices me but doesn't bother to turn. When I inspect her I find it amazing how much she looks like Kate back home, suddenly a sense of longing hits my heart. I was interested in Kate but I never really tried to become anything with her and now I regret it. She looks over the edge.

"What would happen if I jumped?" She asks, even her voice is like Kate's and I'm having a sudden desire to protect this girl. "Do you think I would fly?"

"No." I reply with a monotone voice, I then stands next to her and lean on the railing and look over the edge. "You'd fall."

"And then I'd be an angel." She replies in a sweet voice, looking up at the rising sun. She inhales deeply and the wind blows through her hair. "I could be free of this oppression."

"You'd be dead." I reply, still we don't look at each other but I am truly entranced by this girl. I then start thinking what would happen if I had to fight this girl. Would I really want to kill her? If she reminds me so much of a girl who I suddenly realise I have fallen for?

"I'd be dead, but I would finally be free of the Capitol." She sighs and rests her head in her hands. "I'd be free of the misery, the pain and the fear."

"We give up, they win." I reply with a smile, even though I know she can't see it behind my mask. She stands up straight and turns to walk away, she stops just short of the elevator.

"When we enter the arena." She turns and smiles at me. "I hope I don't have to fight you."

"Nor me you." I reply and then she was gone. We only spoke for about two minutes but she has opened my eyes. I thought I'd had come to terms with my likely death, but it seems I'm not ready. Which is going to make the Games even harder.

I meet Claire in the training centre, I had come down early and started on learning which plants are edible and which are not. I have to admit I learnt a lot from this station, I would have thought I knew most of it considering I had to hunt and scavenge for my food. Turns out I was quite lucky, a lot of berries found in District 7 that I never ate because I found the other plants easier to harvest turned out to be poisonous. Including these little purple berries called nightlock, all I can think of is how I can turn these little fruits into a poison for my bolts in the Games. Upon mentioning this to the Trainer he explains how that's impossible due to nightlock only being found around District 12. After I finish at the station I find Claire standing and waiting for me.

"You going to tell me what's going on between you and Hasta?" She asks with a serious expression.

"Nothing is going on." I reply, she rolls her eyes. I don't think she wants an argument this early in the morning. So instead the two of us make our way to the knot tying station, which I find amazingly boring. Claire is a natural at this where as I invented about seven new knots trying to do a simple one. It takes me and hour to learn all the knots, where as Claire does it in half the time. Hasta arrives after we finish with his usual smile.

"And a fine morning to the both you." He says with a bow. I nod my head and Claire greets him happily. "Have both you done the fire starting section yet?"

"It's okay." Claire buts in before I can speak. "We know how to light fires from home, we can focus on something else then show you when we get in the arena if you want."

"Ahh it's okay!" Hasta replies waving the comment off with his hand. "I'd prefer not to know how to give my position away anyway, shall we do some medical training instead?" He asks with a smile. "I think learning how to patch one and another up will prove very useful."

It turns out I'm quite good at first aid, which is what we focus on which confuses the trainer. Most Tributes who come here, if any come here, is to learn how to patch themselves up should they get wounded, but we focus on how to heal each other. This display of team work is concerning most of the Tributes, and it's clear to see who's going to be working with who this year. I notice how the usual career pack has taken on new members so there's actual ten people in there, the rest seem to be independant. So that means eleven people are going to be easy prey skilled tracker, I feel confident that I can find them. Hasta seems to have clocked the team members as well because I find him inspecting each member with great detail, is he trying to find a weakness? Maybe find a way to convince them to turn on the careers? I wouldn't put it past him, it turns out he's very intelligent. I mean I'm not unintelligent by any stretch of the imagination, but he has the cunning of a fox and I feel rather impressed when I watch him come up with methods of dealing with something outside of the box.

The day continues like this after our food, we deliberately socialise to try and show that we're bonding better than the other pack, we're obviously the under dogs here, but who doesn't love an under dog? I say farewell to Hasta and leave the elevator to our flat with Claire at my side. I find Blight standing waiting for us.

"Everything okay?" Claire asks, and an avox girl hands her a glass of water. "You seem tense."

"You're damn right I'm tense." He replies, Claire gives him a confused look and Blight sighs. Something isn't right here. "You're attracting a lot of unwanted attention from the Tributes. I got out of one of the drunken mentors that they've all been advised to either run from the bloodbath or go straight to killing off your team."

"Oh god damn..." Claire says slumping in her chair by the table. This is when her stylist pats her on the shoulder and reassures her. I'm glad everyone knows my plan but her. "We're in deep trouble then."

"Not if you run at the Cornucopia." Blight says sitting opposite her, I choose to sit next to Claire, after all she is my team mate. "Except for Seth and the boy from District 4."

"What?" I ask with a hint of anger. "Why aren't we with her?"

"Because she's going to run in a straight line from her podium backwards." He says pulling over a plate of food. "You and Four are going to fight you're way to grab three back packs and what weapons you can find. Then meet her in a place that she will be hiding."

"I don't like this plan." Claire retorts. She's obviously concerned about going off on her own. "What if they catch me on my own." I knew it.

"They won't, or at least the Career's won't. They'll be in the bloodbath." Blight knows what he's doing but I'm not too sure about this plan, it seems to have many major flaws even though I understand his view point. "After you met up, I then want you to find a place to set up camp, close but not too close to the water. Understand?" Me and Claire both nod, which makes Blight smile slightly. He knows that this year District 7 really does have a chance.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Scoring System

The last day of training is a re-run of everything I've done. I help Seth with his knots then he teaches me everything else. Hasta has also been very helpful, and after our last day training we are all quite anxious to show our skills to the Game-Makers, but I'm not going to kid myself, I'll most likely score a six or a seven. So when we finish off our training and then mop up our food and wait in the room to be presented in front of the Game-Makers I sit in between Seth and Hasta, both of them reassure me that as long as I try my best I should get a good score.

"I take it you'll be using that crossbow?" Hasta asks both us Seth nods.

"Definitely." I reply with a slight hint of confidence, I may be no where near as good as Seth but I caught up really quickly. "And I think I'll go for the axe station as well."

"I'll be going for spears." Hasta replies nodding his head as he enters a world of spears and swords in his mind. "And I'll show off my skills with a tower-shield."

"Tower-shield?" I ask. I can tell by Seth's body language that he doesn't know what a tower shield is either, but Hasta being Hasta, doesn't give a cocky answer.

"It's like a massive plank of wood." He replies, trying to draw a rectangle in the air with his fingers. "It's meant to go on your arm so you can block most attacks from the front."

"Did you plan on using this?" Seth asks. Hasta chuckles for some reason, I don't see what's funny about the question but then again Hasta always seems to find the bright side to everything.

"Nope." He replies with a smile. "I had planned to use a smaller shield to be more mobile. Didn't want to be stabbed in the back. But I think I can go for a larger shield knowing I got two people covering me." I don't know why but this comment makes me feel all warm inside. It's a genuine show of trust in an arena designed to kill you. Then again Hasta is going on a suicide mission according to Seth, which is why Seth chose him. I can't help but look at Hasta and feel sad. When he dies the world is truly going to lose a great person. If only he was born in a fairer time. Then Hasta is called out, District 4 male going up to prove himself. He stands proudly, gives a quick nod to the two of us then walks head down, shoulders back, if he walks like this normally then he must scare the living day lights out of the people back at his District. He actually looks like he's getting ready to kill someone.

Me and Seth sit in silence and wait, it seems like hours that we wait and gather our thoughts but I know it's only been about half an hour when Seth was called away. That's when he does something that shocks me greatly. He pulls up the front of his mask to his nose and gives me a smile. I'm speechless. As he walks through the doors he starts to take his hood off but it closes before I have chance to see his face. What is he doing? Trying to put me off? Scare the Game-Makers? If he trying to scare people it's working because the twelve year old boy from District 8 is staring at where he once stood in disgust. Obviously he's going to do well so I just prepare myself. The doors open about seven minutes later and I'm called in.

I walk into the training room and see that the Game-Makers are looking rather shocked. What did Seth do? I quickly snap out of my daydream and walk in front of the Game-Makers, giving a respectful nod and a quick wave I introduce myself. My friendly act seems to appeal to a few of them who gave a quick wave back. I instantly run to the crossbow and fire three bolts as fast as possible. The shots aren't amazing but they are all on target. I then go to the axe station and starting doing very exotic moves that Seth showed me. The Game-Makers don't look too impressed and that's when I notice the gashes in the floor and the holes in the targets. Seth did nearly everything perfectly. All except one I notice. I run over to the spear section and quickly show off my moves against a training dummy. I finish off with a thrust to the chest then a complete spin followed by a throw into the neck of a dummy about forty yards away. This impresses the Game-Makers and they give me a quick applause. The Head Gamer-Maker, or at least I assume he is the head, dismisses me and I run to the elevator excitedly. When the doors open I see Seth waiting for me, with Blight and Cassia.

"They seemed impressed." I say with a smile. Cassia runs over, squeals like a child and grabs my hands.

"That's brilliant, darling." She starts bouncing on the spot. "Absolutely Brilliant!"

"We haven't seen the scores yet." Blight comments, I know he's right but something about the comment rubs me up the wrong way. Why is he so distrusting of me? It's only little things but since that day on the train he's seemed to focus more on Seth than me. "Not to knock you're confidence, my girl."

"Well let's stick on the television and find out what our darling's scored!" Cassia says excitedly and we all gather around the television. Seth's stylist sits next to him. Him and Seth don't get on and I can't remember the man's name but he's a nasty looking man. We sit watching the Capitol's little programmes on each Tribute and what Caesar thinks of each one. Caesar seems to like Ludo, comparing him to a lion. Proud, strong and good looking. Next one I notice is Hasta, who Caesar seems to be paying little attention to compared to Ludo. Oh if only Caesar knows what the man is truly like that he speak of. Next important Tribute is Seth. Caesar is really interested in him, and I can see how proud Blight is when he speaks of Seth. He's described as dark, mysterious and a bad boy for all the Capitol girls out there. We can hear the cheers when Seth's name is mentioned from the Training Hall that's how loud it is. Next is me, I'm described as funny and energetic but Caesar isn't really interested in me. He skips through the rest of the Tributes quickly as the training score are going to come up soon.

"Ready?" Blight asks with a smile. I shake my head because I'll be honest I'm very nervous. I bring my legs to my chest and wrap my arms around them. District 1 does well of course with both Tributes scoring ten. Then to our surprise, or not surprise, Ludo scores an eleven. I can feel the tension building in the room at this point. Then the girl with him, April, also scores a ten. The Tributes from District 3 score sevens. Hasta scores a ten which doesn't surprise me at all, and the girl with him, Acca, scores a nine. The rest I ignore until it gets to Seth.

"Now, Seth Greenlaw. The Assassin of District 7." A title which seems to have stuck among the Capitol since Caesar described him as that during a previous discussion of the Games. "With a score eleven!"

"Hell yes!" Seth shouts jumping up and punching the air. I've never seen him this happy before and I laugh. Although his score now makes it harder for me to get sponsors it's nice to see Seth not act like his usual cold self. Everyone in the room congratulates him and we all wait in anticipation for my score, but we all know it's going to be around the seven or eight mark.

"Next, Claire Green. Charming young girl isn't she?" Caesar laughs at his own joke and coughs to read out the score. "With a score of ten! Nicely done!"

This time it's my turn to cheer, which I do. The whole room starts cheering for me, even more than Seth. We knew he'd get a high but me? No we all expected low. So when my score comes up we all celebrate. Even though Seth remains quite he walks over, wraps me in his arms and lifts me off the floor. This just adds to my happiness. For once in my life I actually feel like me and Seth are a true team, even though I know this feeling will be gone once we kill Ludo in the arena. Amor seems to be the happiest out of all of us. Then again this is his ticket to showing off how good he is as an Escort, and who knows, he may get promoted to a better District considering if we win, he's won two years in a row.

"I don't understand." I start, my whole body is shaking and I'm half relieved half excited. "I didn't do anything very well."

"But did you do everything well?" Blight asks with a smirk. That's when I understand, Seth and Hasta haven't made me very good at one thing they've made me good at everything. The two of them have trained me to have a fighting chance, but they did so much more, they made me a competitor. I have a chance. I can still get home. I can still see Callum and my family.

That night I sit in my room, looking at the movie of the forest that plays instead of my window. A deer runs in front of the camera and zips off into the world, never to be seen again. The forest makes me smile, it's not like the forests I spent my time in back home. The forests I grew up in were all in straight lines, with tall trees reaching as high as some of the Capitol buildings, but this is true nature. Chaotic and unorganised. I think from a moment and realise that me and Seth do represent the forest. I'm the far more ordered and organised version of the forest, whilst Seth represents nature. Unpredictable and powerful. Then just as I was thinking about him he walks through my door.

"Seth?" I ask a bit confused to see him here. "Is everything okay?"

"We're speaking in two days." He replies. That's all he needs to reply and I know that he's nervous. This isn't Seth's strong point. Violence and quick-thinking are Seth's world, not speaking and opening up, but considering he's come here something must be changing with him. "What do I do?"

I don't get much sleep this night. For once I'm teaching Seth rather than him teaching me. His stance, his voice, everything is frightening not compelling. Then again that's exactly what he wants. Seth isn't trying to charm people into loving him, that's more my field, Seth is going to look down upon the Capitol as if they are scum to prove to them how much of a fighter he is. I try working with him on this but there isn't much to work on. He stands straight and confident and his body language is everything it needs to be. Doing this makes me feel like Amor, except I'm not as good at it. Even though I haven't spent much lone time with Amor, what little time I have he's commented on how appealing I am. I can see me becoming a sex object if I win these games.


	12. Chapter 12 - The Interviews

I wake up, give a long stretch and shuffle slowly towards the door. I didn't get much sleep last night and I know that I'm not going to be paying much attention to Aleron. Me and him don't get on, even though he's light hearted he can be rather unpredictable. Mood swings are fairly common with him and I think that we'll be rather aggressive towards each other. We normally are after all. I walk to the table, pull up the front of my mask and start eating. Blight, Aleron, Amor and Claire sit and eat with me. They're all used to seeing this part of my face now and Amor has mentioned removing the mask fully, but I don't think I'll ever be ready for that. I mean even when my picture comes up on the TV I have my mask and sun glasses on. It's this image that is making me feared and desired among the Capitol.

"You won't be seeing much of each other today." Blight says, pointing at the two of us with his fork. "You'll be with your stylists, working on how you're going to present yourselves for your interviews tomorrow evening." That's when it hits me, I only have two days before I enter the arena. I think I'm prepared. I've gained enough weight and my fitness has improved, as well as all the skills needed to survive. I think I'll be able to survive long enough to kill that stuck up Capitol-lover Ludo. Which is what the Capitol are looking for, the Ranger, or Assassin as I've heard a few of the Capitol call me, against the brave defender Prince from District 2. Or at least that's what Caesar is trying to sell this years Games as, but the chances are we'll die of something far more horrible than the blade of another.

"So best behave, young man." Aleron adds in his harsh tone with a glare directed at me. I shrug it off and grab a bowl. Garlic mushrooms, chunks of boar meat and lettuce taste amazing after a long night of practising how to speak. "I don't think we'll have much work to do."

"What about me?" Claire asks, she must feel quite offended by Aleron implying I was the easier to teach. Claire's power of speech is the only real thing she has going for her at the moment. "I thought my speech was okay."

"Oh trust me, you are far better than Seth here." He replies, I don't feel offended because it's the truth. "But Seth doesn't really need to speak much, in fact the strong silent approach is what we're going for."

"So I'm not changing?" I reply. Blight chuckles and Aleron just shakes his head.

"I think you've got the dark power thing down to a T." He replies to me with a smile. I be civil and smile back. If I've only got two days left to see this man, who is trying to help me, I might as well leave a good lasting impression. I mean he will be the last person I see before I enter the arena.

"When do we start?" I ask with a smile directed at him. Even though he only smiles slightly back I can see that he's happy that I'm willing to work with makes his job a hell of a lot easier and makes things far more civil between the two of us.

"Soon as possible, we're just waiting on Cassia." Blight replies. I haven't seen him much lately, he's been talking to the people of the Capitol trying to convince them that either me or Claire are bound to win this years games. To give him credit he has done an amazing job, he claims it's because of how we present ourselves but I appreciate what he has done for us.

It's twelves o'clock when Cassia finally arrives.

"Sorry, Darlings" She says trotting in from the elevator in her high heels. "But I've been getting sponsors, we now have some on the supporters of District 4 now routing for us!"

"How the hell did you manage that!?" Blight shouts with excitement. She giggles to herself as she sits down with us in front of the TV. "How many strings did you pull?"

"While, I had our Tributes good friend Hasta record a little something for me." She starts with a smile, she draws out a little box and presses a button on it. Hasta's voice plays from the small box.

"I'm going in that arena to die Cassia, the best thing I can do is get someone out of that arena who really deserves to live." He words echo in my mind. Someone who really deserves to live. Does he not think that he deserves to live? I'd say he has more call than all of us here put together considering the sacrifice he's making for a complete stranger. Maybe he blames himself for the death of his family, and I can understand this feeling better than nearly anyone he has met.

"It's truly sad, Darlings," Cassia says shaking her head. "But this improves the chances of you getting home." Cassia extends her hand to Claire and she takes it. "Now, come come, we have work to do." And the two trot off to Cassia's office. I turn myself to face Aleron who is already staring at me.

"What first?" I ask, pulling the mask down to cover all of my face. He indicates for me to stand, I do so and he inspects me. I don't see why he's doing this, he's seen me without my clothes on, which I hated, so he knows my structure. Maybe he's coming up with an idea? He just sits there and nods.

"We're not going to be making you look smart are we?" Aleron asks with a smile. I shake my head. "I think I've got an idea."

It's a few hours later when I'm standing looking in the mirror looking at myself in a suit of black leather armour. Not an actual suit like Almor wears, it's just a suit of leather armour. Unlike my costume there's no skin showing this time. It's just a full leather, black and brown. It clearly shows my mask and arm and chest cover. I can't call them bandages anymore because I don't wear them. Aleron nods, happy with his work.

"It's only four o'clock." He starts, looking at his golden wrist watch, "I don't think any training with your speech will help, you're frightening enough as it is. Have the rest of the day off." He says walking out of my room. I remove the armour and put on my normal training suit. It's far more comfortable than the suit I'm wearing later. Normally the interview is the following day but Amor came and told me that they've moved it forward to tonight, and all Games for years to come will work like this, and that means I'm going into the arena tomorrow. My day off soon becomes me standing in line with Claire in front of me in her costume, she's used the same one because it's by far the most amazing thing that could have ever been designed for her. Caesar sits interviewing the Tributes, it seems like ages until Ludo steps up.

"Now! Please put you're hands together! For the Prince of Power! The Man of the Hour! The Heir of District 2! Ludo Saluagius!" The entire audience roar and clap as he confidently walks onto the stage and waves at the crowd. All i can think of is how I'm going to separate that head from it's shoulders.

"Good evening, Capitol!" Ludo shouts raises his arms into the air, then turning to Caesar, shaking his hand and sitting comfortably in the white leather chair. "And a good evening to you to, Caesar." The audience and Caesar laugh as Ludo gives a charming smile to all his fans.

"So, Ludo. Son of a good friend of mine I might add." Caesar adds and winks at the audience. This man is so charming it hurts. "How are you enjoying the Capitol?"

"I honestly love it here, and I can't wait to return on my victory tour." Ludo replies, the audience make a strange oooooo sounds that kids do in a school yard. Caesar laughs and pats him on the shoulder.

"Confident AND good looking, ladies how do you resist?" Caesar asks the audience who all cheer at the question. "Are you happy with everything thats happened so far?"

"Very happy, very confident as well." The audience make that strange sounds again as Ludo nods happily. "I think I've got this in the bag."

"No fear of the Ranger? The Assassin?" Caesar asks with a concerned look. Ludo laughs with a superior tone that makes me grind my teeth. "He did equal you after all."

"The Assassin as you all call him, is nothing more that a wood-cutter." Ludo replies, trying to look un-concerned about me. "He'll be dead by the end of the bloodbath." The room falls silent after this comment.

"That's a bold claim." Caesar replies, holding onto Ludo's hand. "We'd hate to see you fall."

"There will be no fall from glory." Ludo replies. Caesar nods and helps Ludo up as they both stand. "Ladies and gentlemen, Ludo Saluagius, the Prince of Power!" The room erupts into cheers and flowers fly to the stage. Ludo kisses both hands and raises them in the air towards the Capitol, shakes Caesars hand then walks proudly off the stage. We're going to have a hard time topping that.

I turn and see the girl from District 12, in her long black dress, she stares at me and smiles. This instantly throws me off my guard and I turn away quickly.

The other Tributes don't really stick into my mind, until Hasta steps up in his blue suit. The cheers aren't too large when he walks in and he ignores most the crowd and walks straight to Caesar. Caesar shakes his hand and the two sit.

"So, Hasta." Caesar starts. "Some are calling you a hero."

"Hero wouldn't be the term I'd use, Caesar." Hasta replies. The Capitol knows that Hasta doesn't intend on coming out of this arena alive, so all his sponsors and supporters have withdrawn and gone to someone else. This is where I hope Hasta follows our plan.


	13. Chapter 13 - Rise

"Now why wouldn't you call yourself a hero? Giving your life to save the Tributes of your team?" Caesar asks with a raised eyebrow. "This is the ultimate sacrifice."

"I'm doing it to end all this misery, Caesar." Hasta replies, he's got the audience on the edge of their seat. "It's hell in the Districts, and the only reason a winner would want to come back is to see their family, but I have no family." I can actually see the audience tearing up, and Caesar tries to play off this.

"So you're going to get a Tribute back home to their family?" Hasta nods and Caesar shakes his hand. "You are one of a kind Hasta, one of a kind. Why are there no heroes like you?"

"Because heroes don't come home, Caesar." Hasta replies, and then the audience is gone, most of them crying or wailing. "Survivors come home, heroes die and are forgotten."

"I can assure you, Hasta." Caesar kisses Hasta's hand and helps him from the chair. "You will never be forgotten."

Following this the audience needs cheering up, which is lucky because all of the rest of the Tributes seem a bit happier. I still feel nervous, even though I do look stunning in my dress I know I won't be able to match up to Hasta. I also know it means that he's chosen Seth's side. But he mentioned bringing someone home to their family. Seth doesn't have a family. The realisation hit me hard. Hasta intends on bring me home. When I get called up I'm truly nervous. I step into the light, camera crews and hundreds of people staring at me. Millions if you consider that all of Panem is watching me on their TVs. Caesar hugs me and points for me to sit. The blood is pulsing through my veins right now.

"So, Claire Green, you are considered a goddess amongst these Games." I laugh along with Caesar and the audience to try and make myself seem more confident than I actually am. "Is there a lucky man back home?"

"Yes, there is Caesar." I reply giving a wink to the camera. The audience roar at the wink as Caesar gives a cheeky look. "His name's Callum and we've been together since we were twelve."

"Well that's commitment." Caesar says in an approving tone. "Was he the boy called up before your friend volunteered."

"Yes." I reply simple, I haven't really thought about Callum in the past few days and all the emotions are coming back to me. Caesar can see this topic is hurting me and quickly changes.

"He's a lucky man, and I bet he didn't know you were such a fighter, scoring an amazing ten!" He shouts and the audience roars in happiness.

"I have to say," I now try and pull the humble card and try and make Hasta and Seth seem as much as team players as possible. The more parachutes they get the higher the chance I'll get to the late Games. "I wouldn't have even got a five if it wasn't for Seth and Hasta, I'm forever in their debt for what they did."

"Any idea why Seth trained you?" Caesar asks, raising an eyebrow and shrugging to the audience. "Surely you will be a great threat later on in the Games?"

"Seth and Callum." I chuckle a bit as the memories of how close they were before all this happened. "Seth and Callum are truly the best of friends, I don't think I've ever seen anyone closer. So Seth trained me, I can only assume for Callum." I reply. Caesar nods and smiles.

"And I'm sure you'll see Callum again." Caesar embraces me and helps me stand up. "Ladies and gentlemen. Claire Green!" He shouts, audience roar as I blow a kiss and make my way to stand with the rest of the Tributes who have already spoken. Now here's the interview everyone has been waiting for. Seth.

"Now, the moment you have all been waiting for." Caesar shouts rubbing his hands together. Already the audience is starting to cheering. "The Assassin in the Dark, the Ranger of the Woods, Seth-" Seth's last name is cut off by the amazing amount of cheers as he walks onto the stage. He ignores the audience and shakes hands with Caesar. Caesar doesn't have time to tell him to sit because Seth's already leaning back in the chair. Caesar laughs with anticipation and sits down. He shushes the audience and leans forward. "Seth, you've been causing quite a stir."

"Intentionally." Seth replies coldy. Caesar is going to have trouble getting any information out of this Tribute.

"Let's start with when you volunteered. Was the boy, Callum?" He asks. Seth nods. "Do you think things will ever be the same if you have to fight Claire?"

"I won't fight Claire." Seth replies leaning in. Caesar gives a confused look. I'm feeling a bit confused now as well. If it comes down to just me and Seth he'll have to kill me. "Never."

"Then how do you intend on making out the arena?" Caesar replies with a confused look. The room falls silent.

"I don't." Seth replies. The room breaks into shocks and uproar, so much so that Caesar has trouble calming them down. "I don't want sponsors, I don't want people to bet on me, I want everything given to Claire, because me and Hasta are getting her home." It all makes sense, but I can't help but have a lump in my throat. All along I've played him for the enemy when he's been the friend. I should have known, and now I feel so guilty for not trusting him all along.

"Wow." Caesar replies, he's tearing up now. "Is all this to get her back to Callum?"

"All to get her back to Callum." Seth replies.

"And what of your rivalry with Ludo?" Caesar asks. Seth shrugs.

"He will fall." Seth replies. the room goes into an uproar. Half of the shouting half of them crying. You can clearly see the Ludo haters and supporters among the crowd. Caesar tries to calm the crowd down but ti doesn't work. Seth just stands , gives Caesar a nod then walks away.

None of the other Tributes matched up to that performance afterwards and it all I met up with Seth in the apartment. The whole team stands there as I walk in through the elevator.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask. I don't feel betrayed, even though in a normal situation if someone lied to me I would, but Seth is giving me a ticket home and I can't hate him for it.

"I didn't want you getting lazy in training." Seth replies. This rubs me up the wrong way, even if it makes perfect sense. He wanted me to train hard to that I wouldn't be defenceless in the arena. "And it worked."

"It sure as hell did." Blight says putting his hand on Seth's shoulder. This is what Seth said on the train here, he was planning on getting me home as soon as he volunteered, maybe that's what he said to Callum when the peacekeepers carried him away. "We've all been working on getting you home, Claire."

"Everyone?" I ask with a lump building in my throat. Everything that's happened was to save me. I think back at how Seth has presented himself. He hasn't been a cold killer willing to end whoever came in front of him, but he hasn't been a murderer. The standing behind me in the chariot, the training me, even taking Callum's place. All this time he's been presenting himself as my guardian. I can't help myself, my eyes tear up and I throw myself into Seth's arms. I can feel that his emotions are building as well and the room goes silent. "Thank you all."

"It's been our pleasure, Claire." Amor adds, most the room is getting teary now. "Now, off to bed with both of you, the arena is tomorrow."

My night isn't the most relaxed. I spend half of it lying awake in fear and the other half dreaming of Seth dying in front of me, defending me from Ludo's sword. I awake after each dream drenched in sweat. When the morning comes I find Cassia sitting at the edge of my bed.

"Today's the big day, darling." She says, sitting slightly more stiff than normal. She hands me a pair of black cargo pants, tank top and boots. "Put these on, you'll be wearing them in the arena." They're a tight fit but very comfortable, when I leave my room I see Seth, he's wearing the same as me except he has a T-shirt and his mask with glasses on. We're truly ready for the arena. Cassia and Aleron lead me and Seth to the roof, where a hovercraft comes and picks us up. We sit in silver chairs with all the other Tributes, strapped in. A woman in a white lab-coat comes around and jabs us in the arms with needles.

"What's this?" I ask in a confused tone, the woman smiles at me.

"It's just a tracker so we can monitor your where-abouts whilst you're in the arena." She carries on jabbing the rest of the Tributes and I just sit, Seth on my right and the boy from District 8 to my left. Ludo just sits, glaring at Seth and I. Hasta, not too far up from him gives us a reassuring thumbs up. I can't help but smile at him, even if I feel truly petrified.

The ride seems like forever when we finally get dropped into a giant concrete circle room. I give Seth a quick hug and Cassia grabs my hand. It's a long walk around before Cassia leads me into a circle room, all silver and glistening with a long tube going vertical in it. We walk up to the tube and Cassia smiles at me, but I can see she's holding back tears.

"This isn't goodbye, Darling." She says kissing me cheeks. "Seth will get you out, I know he will."

"I know he will." I say back with a smile, she holds me in her arms and then the tube opens. We look at each other, I nod with a determined expression. She hand me a small ring shaped like ivy, my token if you will. Of course I didn't want to take Kate's necklace in, just in case I broke or damaged it. I step into the tube. It shuts behind me and I wave her goodbye. A tear roles down her face and she disappears as I rise towards the light above me. This is it, I'm in the arena.

**A/N: This is it, they're in the arena! Hope you're all enjoying it because this is where it all kicks off, have a lovely day! :D**


	14. Chapter 14 - Gladiators

The light blinds my eyes as I shoot through the floor and onto my podium. My breathing quickens and deepens as I scan the area around me. It's not what I imagined or hoped. We're stood on a hundred metre by hundred metre circle hill above the rest of the arena, and in the middle is the Cornucopia, basking in it's golden glory in the afternoon sun. I have thirty seconds. I quickly scan the arena. It's full of jabbed mountains, and I can tell that we're high up by how cold it is. Most of the arena is just cliff face and plants, with a few batches of woods. I then notice that there are two settlements, one being made of wood and designed in the strangest of architecture, high and mighty, yet you can clearly see that it's a ruin. The other, on the opposite side of the arena, being made of old shacks made of metal, with moving machinery and metal towers protruding from what I'm assuming must be a construction site. The mixture of urban and rural worries me, I'm confident away from all the ruins and in the woods, but I know nothing about fighting an area like that, and I doubt Hasta and Claire would know either.

Fifteen seconds the voice calls. Hasta is standing on the Podium next to me but there is no sign of Claire. That's when I spot what's behind us, the Cornucopia is high above the rest of the arena, at least a hundred foot, and behind each podium is a stand with a long rope attached to a point down below, there's no choice but to climb down the rope and pray you don't fall. I focus my attention on Hasta, he seems a bit confused by the fact I'm still wearing my mask and glasses, bit it's my token after all. I look back to the Cornucopia. I can clearly see two crossbows, each with a quiver full of bolts. Obviously these have been left for me and Claire, we're the only two who would ever bother to use a weapon like this.

Then the five second countdown begins, four, three, two, one, run. Hoping that Claire will follow the plan I sprint to Hasta, he does the same and we charge the Cornucopia together. About half the Tributes have taken the sensible option and started to climb down their ropes and to a safe zone below. I make a dive into the Cornucopia, luckily I'm quite quick and I reach the Crossbows in time. I place mine on my back and hand Hasta the other crossbow and quiver and he does the same. We both grab a bag, and I grab an extra for Claire. Hasta then picks up a spear and shield and begins fending off some of the other Tributes who are making their way into the Cornucopia. I spot the Career pack, they've decided to stand back and let us kill each other off first. I spin around and spot Hasta removing his spear from the boy from District 10's chest. I then grab a sword and axe, both rather strange in design. While st most swords are wider this is thin and slightly curved, also extremely sharp. The axe is easy to recall, it's a tomahawk, we use them in District 7 quite frequently. Hasta runs to one of the posts with the rope, I can only assume this is the one that Claire went down. I jog behind him but the girl from District 6 runs in front of me with a mace, I parry it with my axe then then thrust with the sword, she dodges it, spins around and I catch her just under the arm with the tomahawk. Her face disfigures into all forms of pain, I then swing my sword and cut through her ribcage and into her heart. The blood seeps from the wound and I watch the light drain from her eyes as she falls to her knees. I can't focus on this right now, I need to find Claire. I pull my sword from her rib cage and run to Hasta.

"I saw her climb down this one." He says, placing his spear over the top of the rope and grabbing onto the middle with both hands. "Use the axe, we'll try and slide down."

"That's it!" Ludo shouts, I turn to face him and I see him slowly walk forward with his pack slowly starting to form behind him. I don't have time to count, Hasta is already sliding down the rope and I know my cannon is next if I don't go now. "Run, Assassin. Show the world the coward you are!" I check the rope and post, the post is clearly stuck in the ground and the rope seems strong enough that the Careers won't cut through it. I place my tomahawk over the rope and begin to slide down. AS soon as my feet leave the ground I'm caught into awe, I'm sliding down quickly and the rope extends over a massive drop for about a thousand metres. I lift my legs up to slow myself down as I approach the end of the rope, I take one last glimpse of the surrounding area. Rock faces, small patches of woods, ruined buildings and bridges, it looks like this place used to be home to someone. Before I can take in more the beautiful surrounding I have reached the end of the rope, which is attached to another post, and I hit the ground with a distinct thud. I get to my knees and feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Could you had landed anymore majestically?" Hasta asks sarcastically. I chuckle as he helps me to my feet. Claire runs out of the bushes from behind him and throws her arms around me.

"You're okay." She whispers in my ear. I place an arm over her shoulders.

"Of course, I have a promise to keep." She pulls away and smiles at me, giving me a light punch on the shoulder.

"Cheesy bastard." She replies. I shake my head slightly and giver her the bag and the cros... Where's the crossbow? I only have one. I sigh and look back over the rope, it must have fallen, I have two quivers but not two crossbows.

"I lost a crossbow." I say, I hand mine to Claire, she's far better with a crossbow than any melee weapon so I think I'll keep them. I help her slide into her bag and turn to Hasta. "I think we should find water first."

"Water's a good idea." He replies, stepping to the ledge where the post is. He leans against it and takes in the view. Hasta then points with his spear to the old wooden ruins. "I'd say we look there, they might have placed supplies in them."

"They've never put ruins in Games before." Claire adds, holding the crossbow in her hands. I inspect it further, black, like all the weapons we have been given, and this one is clearly designed to be used in both hands by the stock that protrudes from the back of the weapon. "Or machines for that matter."

"The machines are on the other side of the arena." I reply, Hasta stands his spear into the ground and takes in the land further. "I'd say we head to the ruins."

"How many others are thinking the same do you wonder?" Hasta asks, his attention clearly focused on the ruins a head of us. The strange building with an odd shaped roof. I shrug.

"I don't know." I admit honestly, Claire turns to look at me, as if hoping I would at least take a guess. I happily give her an estimate. "I'd say half to the Ruins and half to the Machines."

"Except for the Careers." She adds with a small smile, obviously proud of her observation. I nod along.

"Except for the Careers." I look up to the Cornucopia, hundreds of feet in the sky. "They have that."

"We're going to need to find a better way to the Cornucopia." Hasta adds, I begins walking in the direction of the ruins and my two companions fall in line behind me. "We can't climb a rope for that distance."

"No we can't." I agree with him, looking up at our destination. It's at least a days walk away with the terrain and all the ups and downs and the twisting rock faces. Yet I can see something, a waterfall, that runs behind and underneath the ruins. That's perfect.

"The ropes are different lengths and heights, we should find the shortest one and use that." Claire adds from at the back. I turn to look at her and find that she's not just walking and kicking the dirt, she has her eyes open, crossbow ready and loaded and is constantly checking our rear. Who would have thought Claire would have made the perfect hunting partner? I had only hunted with partners a few times in District 7 and that was to bring down big game animals or packs. "But that would mean checking all twenty four of them."

"Or we just look for the highest one." Hasta adds, he looks over to the ruins, it's a good fifty feet higher than the post we climbed from and, even though it's difficult, I can just make out a rope connecting the Cornucopia to the ruins.

"Maybe there's a machine we could use." I say. Hasta nods his head in agreement. "Think one of the District 3 kids will help us?" I ask, Hasta shrugs in reply.

"We could threaten him." He replies. I shake my head.

"I'd prefer not."

"We can bargain with him." Claire adds, now looking over to me. I look back at her and she smiles. "Let him or her into our pack until the Careers have been dealt with."

"And then?" What I snap back. "Kill him?"

"That's the plan." Hasta replies. I laugh darkly and shake my head. "What?" He asks. I stop and turn to face him.

"I thought I was the fucked up one." I carry on laughing to myself in an evil tone as I continue to walk, except I know that Hasta and Claire are now a few more paces behind me than before.

We stop after about an hour. It didn't take us long to find our way to the edge of the rock face and now we are seated next to a drop that falls into the darkness below. I have to give it to the Capitol, they made this arena truly terrifying. The only land is rested on rock faces that protrude from a darkened pit below us. IT was only after walking did I notice how high the Cornucopia was. We had found our way to the middle height. We'll call it a four hundred foot. Which means the Cornucopia is eight hundred foot high and where we are is ground zero. The only other way to get down now is to fall to our deaths. I motion for the team to stop, it's about half way through the afternoon and we haven't rested since we landed from the Cornucopia.

"At last." Claire sighs and sits down against the cliff face. We sit on an outcrop that we've been following to the arena for some time and I guess we'll arrive just as the sun sets. "My feet are killing me." She says staring at her boots.

"We still have some time to go." Hasta says coming to stand next to me. Ever since we've met I've had a trust for Hasta that I could only relate to Callum. Maybe it's because of how similar we really are? He points to the Cornucopia, a small pillar of smoke comes from the top. "Look like the Careers have made camp."

"Up there?" Claire asks, standing back up to walk behind us. "How will they get food and water?" Hasta chuckles.

"They've got the Cornucopia, sugar." He replies, did he just refer to Claire as sugar? I think I need to get him some water. "They've got supplies there to last them a month or two I guess, the Careers always take the Cornucopia and Capitol always support the Careers." We watch as a rather large box falls from the sky with a parachute suspending it in the air. It lands on the Cornucopia and we watch the silhouettes pull it down from the Cornucopia's roof and onto the floor where we can't see. "Proof of my point."

"How come we don't have parachutes?" Claire asks with a frown. "Surely Blight would have got us someone?"

"We don't need parachutes." I reply in my normal cold voice, I can't help but admit I'm jealous of the obvious favouritism that the Capitol show the Careers, and I know my hate is merely bitter spite, but they represent the Capitol, funded and safe, and we represent the Districts, the underdogs with a bite so much stronger than our bark. "They're saving ours until we're desperate."

"We won't get that desperate." Hasta replies, he takes off his bag and withdraws a small black bottle. He takes off the lid and presses to his lips. I see his facial expression change from that of happiness to frustration when no liquid flows from the container. He sighs, places the bottle back in the bag and mounts it on his shoulders. "Okay, maybe we'll get desperate." I grin under my mask and begin walking again.

"What do we do if we find a Tribute?" Claire asks, jogging faster than Hasta so that she's standing walking alongside me. I laugh to myself and turn to face her.

"Isn't it obvious?" i reply with a hint of sarcasm. By the expression on her face I can tell she knows my next answer. "If they try to kill us, we kill them first."


	15. Chapter 15 - Raiding The Ruins

I stop for a second and take in the view. The blood red sun fills the sky with an orange glow that spreads through the clouds like roots from a tree. I lower my crossbow to the side and smile as I absorb the view. I smile as the sun slowly starts to disappear over the horizon. I feel a tap on my shoulder and I quickly snap out of my trance and dart my eyes to where the hand came from. Seth stand there staring at me.

"Nervous?" He asks in his normal cold tone. I sigh and giggle to myself slightly. My nerves are calming down and I smile at Seth. He tilts his head slightly, prying for an answer.

"A bit." I admit honestly, the Ruins are just ahead of us according to Seth's estimate half the Tributes should be in here. Unless we are the first. Seth nods slightly and walks away towards the stone steps that lead to the side entrance of the ruins. Hasta has run ahead and his filling his water bottle from the waterfall.

"Look a the architecture." Seth says, pointing at the strange arches that rise above the pathway as we follow the steps. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I don't think there's anything like this in any of the Districts." She says walking alongside me towards the waterfall. I withdraw my bottle from my pack and place it under the waterfall, it fills slowly then Seth does the same. "How are we getting in?"

"Break the door down." Hasta says, me and Seth turn to look at him in surprise. He shrugs and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"Could we find a quieter way?" I ask with a small frown across my brow.

"Think it through." Hasta takes a swig from the waterfall, places his waterfall back in his bag and looks at the two large wooden doors. "Seth breaks the door down, me and you rush in and Seth follows behind."

"Why you two?" Seth asks, bringing his bottle away placing it in his bag. Hasta points at his weapons then back at mine.

"You aren't the most protected person here, are you?" He asks as he raises eyebrow. Seth squares off in front of him but I jump in before Seth takes the comment to heart.

"I think it's a good idea." I state, they both turn to look at me. I stutter clumsily and point at the door with two fingers. "Think we should..? I dunno.. Break.. The.. door down?"

"Lets' do it." Seth says, he spins his weapons so that they both point behind him and waits for us to get into position. I lean against the left side of the door whilst Hasta takes the opposite. We give each other a nod then we both nod to Seth. Seth takes a deep breathe in, walks powerfully towards the door and gives it a mighty kick, smashing the doors wide open. Me and Hasta rush through, I scan corridor leading down the immediate right and then scan the great hall directly in front of the double doors. The corridor is clear so I move into the hall and check every corner of the hall, large and high, with an old fireplace at the other end, two doors on either side, and six huge pillar equally spaced apart reaching the roof and aligned to edges of the fireplace. The room has a few old wooden chairs, tables with ornaments, and strange paper covered in odd symbols falls from the ceiling alongside the pillars. Me and Hasta lower our weapon and Seth walks into the room. He stops in the centre and inspects the room.

"Everything all right back there?" Hasta asks, running his hand along the paper that falls from the ceiling. Seth remains silent, he lowers his head and I watch his body relax.

"Seth are you-" He shushes me and we all fall still and silent. What's he doing? That's when he brings both weapons up and slowly starts to move towards the right door. He moves silently. Me and Hasta stand stunned, neither us wanting to throw him off his game. He tucks against the wall next to the door and stops. Bringing his sword horizontally across his chest, the blade pointed at the door. Like a cat he lunges at the door and stabs through. Two screams come from behind the door and me and Hasta sprint into position, but instead of fighting, Seth takes two steps back and then dives behind a pillar, I jump behind the pillar behind Seth's and Hasta ducks behind his shield with the spear rested over the top right hand side.

"We won't hurt you." Seth promises whilst leaning out from behind the pillar. He motions for me to lower my crossbow. Then a girl sticks her head around the corner, is that Kate? It can't be, she looks amazingly like Kate though I must admit. Then a boy comes from around the other side.

"Don't shoot!" The boys says, he throws a bow and quiver full of arrows at us. "We'll give you that just don't kill us." Seth moves from behind the pillar, picks up the bow and arrows then throws them to me. I use my feet to move them closer but don't take my eyes off the door.

"We won't kill you." Hasta adds, standing up from behind his shield. "I'm Hasta, from District 4, who are you?" He asks.

"I'm Marcus." He says coming out from behind the door and walking slowly towards us. Seth points the sword forward so that it hangs in the air an inch in front of his face. The colour drains from Marcus' face as he struggles to find the words. "We're from District 12."

Seth leans around Marcus to eye the girl. She comes from behind the door with two pickaxes, one large and one small. "I didn't expect to see you again." She says, moving closer to us and standing next to Marcus.

"Liz? You know him?" Marcus asks, lowering his hands and turning to face Liz, I'm just as confused as he is, Seth doesn't know anyone except me and Hasta, doesn't he? Seth lowers his sword and gives a slight bow of his head.

"We've spoken." He replies. Seth spoke to someone? Seth spoke? I'm rather amazed but his. I know that he's been coming out of his shell since we've come to the arena but I didn't realise he was coming out of his shell this much.

"It was only briefly." She replied with a small smile. "May I?" She asks, offering the larger pick-axe to Marcus. Seth nods and Marcus grasps the pick-axe with his right hand. Seth takes a step back and I can feel the tension rising in the room. "What happens next?"

"That depends on you." Hasta replies, moving forward so that he's standing next to Seth. Hasta shoots Seth a quick glance and Seth returns in. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah." Instantly the room gets tense again. Marcus grips his pick-axe firmer and Seth and Marcus stare into each others eyes, well, eyes and glasses. For a moment I can hear my heartbeat, a fight can easily break out here and I need to be ready. Then the unthinkable happens. Seth stands his sword into the ground and extends a hand. Marcus stops for a moment, looks at Seth hand, all covered in a skin tight black fabric, looks back up at him and takes his hand. Marcus smiles and, even though I can't see it, I know Seth is smiling too.

"Welcome to the pack." I say, walking from behind the pillar and pushing the bow to Marcus. He shakes his head.

"You keep that, we made a deal." I smile and give my thanks, taking off the crossbow and bolts and handing them to Seth. He gives me a small nod as he places the sword and axe into the holders on his back. He then clips the crossbow quiver around his right thigh and places the crossbow strap over his shoulder. "It's getting late, shall we stay here tonight."

"Yeah, we should." Hasta says, throwing his shield and bag to the floor. Seth takes off his bag, but not his weapons, and leans against the pillar. I pick up the bow and quiver. It's a very short bow, about the same length as the gap between my shoulder and my knee. It's a strange design as well, with two circles at each end of the bow with the string running through it. I pull back the bow, the circles move with the string as I struggle to pull it back.

"It's a compound bow." Liz states whilst walking beside me. I look up at her in slight confusion, I've never used a bow before and I don't expect to be any good with it. She smiles at me and I smile back. "I could teach you, I didn't have much practice but it's better than having you missing everything."

"I would love that, but maybe tomorrow?" I smile and start to yawn. "I'm getting tired."

"Of course." Liz replies with a sweet smile and walks over to Marcus who is sitting next to the fire place getting a mat out of his backpack and laying it on the floor. Hasta has already dozed off to sleep and darkness fills the room. I remain against the pillar as my eyes adjust. It takes a while for my eyes to adjust but when I do I notice Seth's silhouette moving through the shadow in silence. He moves to the door we broke down and closes it, placing a bolt in the handles to stop it reopening. He then walks back to the door he stabbed and closes that. He slowly walks back so that he's in front me, it's scary how much he seems like a ghost in the night. He stops in front of me but doesn't turn.

"You're watching me." He says, not turning to look at me but staring forward. I blink a few times, trying to come up with words to reply to him.

"You just move so quietly." I point out, commenting on his eerie silence is the only thing that stands out at the moment. He makes no reaction and continues to stare forward. I try desperately to think of what else to say. He's been rather open today, and I'm hoping I can pry for more information while me and him are the only two souls still awake. "It's scary."

"For you." He replies, moving silently into the corner of the room. He removes his weapons, lays them next to him and rests against the bag that he placed in the corner. I hear the cannon go off three times but everyone sleeps through it, I know that right now the Tributes who have fallen today will have their faces high in the sky. I sit there awake, dreading what challenges the arena will throw at us tomorrow.

* * *

I awake just as the sun begins to light up the hall that I lay in. I scan the area, everyone is asleep except Seth, who sits in the corner with his head hanging low. I frown slightly and just watch him for a moment. Seth normally sits with such composure, a straight back, square shoulders and a sense of dark confidence pours from him, but at the moment that's all gone. I cough to let him know of my presence, instantly he resumes his old position and snaps his head to look at me. I smile.

"Good morning, Seth." I say with a nod. Seth nods back, standing up and walking over to me, he hands me a bottle of water and I gulp down the contents happily. "Sorry, I didn't realise I was that thirsty."

"It's fine." He replies and returns to sit cross legged in the corner of the room. I siv through my brain for anything I can say to him to try and spark a conversation. If he's willing to sacrifice himself for me I should known everything about him so that I can tell my children about their mothers hero.

"Sleep well?" I ask, instantly regretting it, closed ended questions usually on get yes or no answers from him. He shakes his head and I seize my chance, I stand up, walk over and sit next to him. "Why not?"

"Kept watch." He replies, of course he did, Seth would never let anything get to me while he slept. I smile at him, trying to make some form of eye contact, he looks up to me but instantly looks away. I give him a light punch in the shoulder and I hear a small chuckle escape from him. "I'm going hunting."

"This early?" I ask, he places his sword and axe on his back and holds his crossbow in his hands.

"Best time to hunt." He replies, walking with that eerie silence to the door. He removes the bolt from the handles and walks out into the dawn. I sigh to myself and pace around the room. Everyone else is still sleeping so I decide to inspect my new bow. The pulling back of the bow is rather difficult, but once it reaches a certain stage I can keep the bow pulled back without any real effort. I stand in the middle of the room and place an arrow in the bow. I take aim and fire at a small pot on a broken table. It misses and embeds itself in the wall behind with a crack.

"Who's there!?" I hear and I quickly spin on my heels and load the bow. Hasta sits upright with his spear pointed in any direction he can think of. I laugh to myself as his nerves calm and he hoists himself from the makeshift bed he's made with his top. Marcus and Liz also stir but they wake far more calmly than Hasta.

"Good morning." I say to them all as they struggle to rise from their uncomfortable positions. Hasta places his top back on and walks over to me.

"What are you doing with the bow at this time?" He then looks to the corner where Seth slept and clearly notices his absence. "And where is Seth?"

"He's gone hunting." I reply, pulling another arrow from the quiver on my back. "So I'm practising."

"He's gone hunting at this time?" Marcus asks, using his pick-axe to help him stand. I shrug in reply and fire another arrow at the pot, This time the arrow hits the table that the pot is standing on and causes it to wobble. Slowly I'm improving, even though I've only had two shots and that could have been a fluke. I fire the next arrow and this one misses the table completely. I curse under my breath and turn to Hasta with a frustrated expression. He laughs quietly to himself then suddenly a gong sounds through the Ruins. Instantly we're all up and standing, instinctively we all go back to back with our weapons ready.

"What was that?" Liz asks in a whisper.

"I don't know." Hasta replies, dragging his shield over to him with his foot and picking it up. "It coul-" Hasta stops short as hisses fill the room. Snakes maybe? I don't know any other animal that hisses. Then figures start appearing in the shadows, black silhouettes standing motionless in the corners of the rooms. Then they appear on the ceiling, climbing like spiders and all looking at us with two red lights for eyes. Their heads twist and twitch as they examine us, I lift my bow towards the silhouette closest to the group. It takes step forward so I release the arrow. It flies straight through the silhouette and through to the wall. Now i only have sixteen arrows left.

"Seth!" I scream, hoping that he's close enough to hear us. The silhouettes arch their backs and spread their arms so that their chests are clear. Suddenly one hisses from behind, I find it flying at me from the ceiling, but Hasta slices at it with his spear. The creature cuts in half and turns into black fog that dissipates quickly. That's when they all start to move forward. One lunges at me and I swing my bow at it's head, the head bursts into black smoke which also quickly dissipates. Then the doors fly open and I see Seth standing in the doorway with his sword and axe in his hands. He motions for us to head towards him and we do. A silhouette appears behind Seth and I go to scream, but it's too late, the silhouette brings it's arm down on Seth's shoulder.


	16. Chapter 16 - Tyrant

**A/N: It's Valentine's Day so what the hell, as my gift to you all I give you two chapters in one day :D**

The arms passes straight through me, I spin and swing my axe at the shadows head. It comes clean of and turns into a strange smoke. I can see the terror in the rest of my packs' eyes as they try desperately to fight off the shadow, but they're not real. It's all a trick designed to scare us. The shadows aren't real.

"They're not real." I shout, Claire looks at me in confusion but I ignore her expression and wave the pack over to me. They all sprint from the temple, grabbing what ever gear they can on the way. The doors shut behind them and the hiss continues as we walk back down the steps we had walked up yesterday. I take the lead and walk slowly with my sword and tomahawk at the ready.

"Shit, we forgot your bag." Hasta exclaims looking directly at me, I shrug it off and continue walking. Now is not the time to be dwindling over a lost pieces of equipment. Everyone's obviously frightened by the sudden outburst of monster that have come to this arena. That's when he hear it. A distinct roar and the sound of a cannon in the background. I think nothing of it until I spot the huge reptile standing on it's back legs and roaring into the sky in the distance. All sleek and black, nothing like the lizards that Blight was faced with last year, this one is far larger, and when it zips back into the treeline behind it I know that it's also far quicker.

"What was that?" i hear Marcus ask, I turn and find everyone looking to me. Is this what being a leader means? Everyone relies on you? I hate this feeling, the pressure of all those other lives resting upon your shoulders and I know that only one of them is getting out of this alive, and if any of them make a move on her I will put them in the ground without mercy.

"It doesn't matter." I reply and resume walking, this time I turn left so that we're following the path around the arena and away from the Ruins, I don't think I'll be returning there any time soon.

"What the hell is going on with this arena?" I hear Marcus ask behind me. I decide to keep facing forward and allow the others to talk among themselves, I doubt they're going to want to be stuck in their thoughts after the shadows attacked, even if they weren't real.

"I don't know, but it's frightening me." Claire replies, I feel a pain shoot across my chest at those words. Even with my protection I know I can't save her from that feeling I know so well, fear.

"Maybe that's the whole point." Hasta says, I lead the pack up a hill so that we're rising above the ruins and I can get a better view of the morning. "Maybe this arena is some fear based arena."

"Like it wasn't terrifying enough." Liz adds with a humph afterwards. I hear the rest of the pack mumble in agreement. Then I hear a low rumble. Marcus laughs to himself.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten since I got in the arena." He says, even though he's only joking his message sends a serious note flying through my mind. He's right, none of us have eaten and so far I've found no game, what if the only food is in the Cornucopia? Then that means we'll have to find a way to get back up without being detected. That's when an idea slams into my head like a train.

"We need to get to the Machines." I state, stopping the pack and turning to face them.

"Machines?" Marcus questions. Luckily from this vantage point we can clearly see the Machines and the Shanty Towns from here. I point to them and repeat. Marcus nods along. "Why the Machines?"

"So we can find something to get to the Cornucopia easier." Hasta adds, as if he had just read my mind. He looks to me and I give a small nod. "Why would they add machinery if we couldn't use it?"

"Well there's a moving part system, I can see it from here." Marcus comments, pointing at the containers that move along zip wires high above the floor of the Machines, if there is a floor that is, from here it looks like a large series of metal paths connecting to four peaks and running like abridge above the darkness below. Only when the sun starts to rise does the darkness begin to fill, and I can faintly see a fast flowing river beneath us, at least there is water.

"What do you think we should do?" Hasta asks me, I take a moment to scan the pathways that could lead to the Machines. From here I can see two easy options, one hugging the outside of the arena and through a forest that extends like a crescent moon along the outside of the arena, and the other being going through the rock faces and along broken bridges and fallen trees. Obviously the forest seems like a safer path, but I know that the Lizard i saw earlier is going to be using those trees, as well as other Tributes. I decide to do something drastic.

"Hasta, you lead the pack to the Machines." I reply, Hasta gives a small frown in reply.

"Why me?" He asks, not that he wants someone else to lead, he knows I trust him, but he doesn't know why I'm not leading. I look up to the Cornucopia, high above the rest of the arena.

"I'm going to go to the Cornucopia, I'll meet you at the Machines." Hasta goes to object but Claire cuts in before he can speak.

"That's suicide." She argues, her face reddening as the danger of the task sinks in. "We need you."

"It's early in the morning, they could still be asleep." I reply, gesturing to the rising sun behind me. "And I need to know what their numbers are." In truth what I really want is some time alone, I've been in the arena less than twenty four hours and already the strain of having to protect four people is getting to me, maybe some time hunting my enemies with no one but the wind at my back will offer my some clarity.

"Wouldn't one of them be on guard?" Claire retorts with concern in her eyes. I shrug in return.

"I need to take that chance." I reply, I turn and look for the nearest rope. Luckily it's only about a fifteen minute walk ahead of us, but what's concerning me more is how high I'm going to need to climb. Luckily this is one of the higher points but this is a long and dangerous climb.

* * *

We walk until I reach the post. The sun has risen higher and I know that they'll be awake soon. I run my left hand along the rope and feel the fibres roll over each other. Nothing's breaking through this and as long as my muscles hold out, I'll be fine. I stop, turn and face Claire who is standing behind me. She wraps her arms around me and squeezes tightly. I slowly place my arms around her shoulders, not sure on what to do next. After a few seconds she releases and looks where my eyes should be.

"Stay safe, you promise?" She whispers with water building in her eyes. I find it quite odd how I'm not coming out of this arena anyway so why get so emotional about it? I nod back and gives the rest of the pack a quick nod as well. Hasta gives me a respectful nod while Marcus and Liz gives a small wave. I place my weapons on my back, pull tight my quiver and begin climbing.

* * *

After climbing for nearly twenty minutes I realise just how far this is, it's been twenty minutes and I'm only half way. I cross my legs and allow myself to dangle there for a second to give my arms a chance for a break. That's when I look down and suddenly realise just how high I am. It's stomach turning to see that the only thing stopping me falling to death is two legs wrapped around a length of rope. I take a deep in and carry on climbing. It takes another twenty minutes till I finally reach the end. I drop down just before I get to the end of the rope, I spin in mid air and grasp the side of the cliff face like a cat against a tree. I can hear voices coming from over the ledge. I find a firm grip with my foot and raise myself so that I can see over the edge and into the Cornucopia. Ludo, of whom all I can see is his head from behind a crate, and five other Tributes sit around a fire, prodding it with their vast array of weapons. I wonder what happened to the other three Tributes that were meant to fight alongside them? And where did they get the wood from if they haven't been going back and forth? Then I hear a distinct buzzing sound and the boy from District 3 appears from the rope about five podiums to the left of me, he seems to be attached to a small metal device, he unclips his hand and walk towards the rest of his pack.

"Specs, what did you find?" Ludo asks, my jaw drops as he walks from behind the crate in full plate armour with a helmet in his hand. He looks like one of those knights from a far away land long before the Hunger Games. I stare in awe as Specs slowly moves towards him.

"I... I..." He stutters, the colour draining from his skin. "I couldn't find anything, Ludo." He replies. Ludo tuts slightly. Specs looks down at his feet, obviously trying not to make eye contact with Ludo. Ludo lifts the poor boys chin up with his gauntlet covered hand. The boy takes a deep breath in, the in a flash Ludo had brought his fist from the right with such force that i hear Specs' cheekbone crack from even here. Specs collapses to the floor as Ludo looms over him like a true tyrant.

"Bring the girl, and my swords." He orders. The boy from District 1 brings over two long-swords from the crate whilst the girl from District 4 drags a kicking a screaming girl by the hair behind her. "Thank you Evandur." He says politely as the boy hands the swords over. The girl drags the other girl to the edge and makes her kneel with her back to the edge. Ludo walks over and runs his hand down the District 4 girl's back. "And you, Acca."

"My pleasure." Acca replies in a strange tone with a small smile, as soon as she's out of Ludo's line of sight she shivers and marches herself back to the fire. Ludo turns to the girl and smiles, he then places the helmet over his head. I stare in amazement as he slowly moves towards the girl while Specs begs and pleads for her life.

"Maybe you can tell me where the Assassin is." He rests his right sword gently against where her jugular is. She shakes her head.

"I don't know."

"Oh girly." He replies, tutting, he spins the sword around and gives her a right cross with the hilt of her blade. She collapses to the side and her eyes make contact with my glasses. For what seems like an eternity we stare at each other before she turns back to Ludo. This is it.

"I don't know." She replies. The shock that goes through my body nearly makes me lose grip. Ludo tuts again, spinning the sword around, lifting the sword blade to his left hand shoulder and bringing the blade down diagonally along her neck. her head slides off as the cannon sounds and her body falls backwards and off the cliff face. Specs screams as Ludo kicks her head off the Cornucopia.

"Oh well." Ludo shrugs as he kicks Spec's in the face. The boy falls onto his back and coughs up a tooth. Ludo kneels down, grabs the boy by his shirt and stares him straight in his eyes. "If fail again, you're going off the Cornucopia, understand?" Specs nods quickly as the blood and tears flow from his face. Ludo taps the boy on the shoulder, gives him the thumbs up and then walks back to the fireplaces. I allow myself a moment to compose myself then turn my attention back to the matter at hand.

Obvious Ludo, the Prince of Power as Caesar put it, is in charge of the pack, I wonder if he feels any empathy towards the people that follow him? Or are they mere pawns in a deadly game? I turn my attention back to the strange device that Specs used to scale the rope. It looks surprisingly similar to the top half of Claire's bow, a large circle attached to a chunk of metal that rests on the rope. I slowly start climbing along the rock face towards the machine, attacking Ludo right now would be suicide and I'm not ready to die just yet. Suddenly Specs runs over to Ludo and mutters something, Ludo nods along then points for two of the other Tributes, both from District 1, and then points over to the rope that leads to the ruins. Specs runs into the Cornucopia, he removes another small machine from the crate then follows the other two Tributes who slide down the rope, holding onto their weapons for dear life. Now nearly half of Ludo's pack is gone I feel slightly more confident with taking a shot. I continue moving around until I get to the back of the Cornucopia, it takes about twenty minutes and I can feel my arms and legs beginning to tire. I climb up and sneak silently to the back of the Cornucopia.

"Do you think they will find anything?" I hear Acca ask as I climb up the side of the Cornucopia. I spread my wait out and climb like a spider up the side of the Cornucopia and onto it's roof.

"We could watch?" I hear another girl add. They all mumble in agreement and walk over to the side of the cliff face, I smile under my mask, now's my chance. As the four Tributes look over the edge of the cliff I climb down and land in the mouth of the Cornucopia with a muffled roll. I withdraw my crossbow and quietly start to load. Suddenly Specs appears back on the cliff face. How quick is that machine? Then the other Tributes appear, each with their own versions of the machines, where did they get them from? A realisation dawns on me, now that the entire Career pack is back how am I going to escape? The entire pack turns around and I react on instinct, I pull the trigger and fire the bolt straight into Ludo's head. The bolt pierces the helmet with a crack and Ludo collapses to the floor, but no cannon sounds, the helmet took the bolt. The pack draws, their weapons, knives, a scythe, a trident, a bow and other weapons all at the ready. I work quickly and sprint to the machine but it was too late, an arrow flies through the air and embeds itself into my abdomen. I wince in pain and suddenly I feel a knife embed itself into my chest. I scream in pain and collapse onto the machine, holding on with what ever strength I have left as I plummet to the Machines below.

* * *

I land with a crash and attempt to drag myself across the metal floor. There's small metal shack just ahead of me and I know I can reach it if I keep dragging myself. I groan with every pull on my arms and I can feel the blade and arrow scraping along the floor as I crawl. The side of my vision darkens and all I can see is the shack ahead of me. Then a small box lands in front of me, my first parachute. I grasp it and use it as a lever to pull me into the shack. Once I'm in I hoist myself so that I sit upright against the wall. The blood flows from my wounds and I know I don't have much time left. I open the parachute to find a lighter, stitches, and a small pot of a strange liquid, is this medicine? I have to take my chances, I know what Blight is implying. Even though my first instinct is to leave the blade in to block the bleeding I know I'm not going to last long with a knife sticking from my abdomen. I prepare for the worst, grasping the blade with both hands I begin the agonising pull. My muscles have contracted around the blade and I can feel the fibres of my flesh breaking as the blade begins force my body into a state of shock. I twist it slightly, hearing the muscle crack as I pull the blade out in one swift motions, blood flies from the blade and across the floor. Then the wound begins to gush with the sanguine liquid and I know I don't have long. I grab the stitches and stab myself through the skin, trying desperately to fix myself before I run dry. It doesn't take me long, even with my vision giving out I know i can still do this. I apply the medicine and a sharp sting shoots through my body like a corruption, but the blood stops so I know it must be working. Next I turn to the arrow. Even with my vision switching from black to blurry I know what to do. Luckily the arrow wasn't barbed, so it slides out easy and a steady river of blood flows from my wound. I look at the arrow and sigh, withdrawing the lighter I ignite the flame and heat the arrowhead until it burns red hot. This is definitely going to hurt, without thinking I stab myself, I let out a blood curgling scream that echoes throughout the arena. Then the world starts to fade, I apply what little is left of the medicine to the wound and as the last drop of pink liquid seeps into the burnt flesh I feel the life leave my body.


	17. Chapter 17 - Not All Debts Paid

The scream echoes through the arena but we hear no cannon. Someone has been seriously injured and all I can think of is how this could very well be Seth, and that low cry that came from no where could be a scream that he has held inside for so many years. I shoot Hasta a concerned look and he replies with the same. Following Hasta is easy, and him leading us through the forest has given my a sense of safety. The comfort of being back in the trees has lightened my spirits and i can't help but feel glad that the cold air blowing through the maze of bark reminds me so much of home.

"We'll rest here." Hasta commands, he leads much like Seth, confident and authoritative. All I can think of is how well these two would have fitted the Peacekeeper lifestyle. Discipline and honour, or at least that's what they'd think. We all fall to the ground and let out a low moan.

"Who do you think that was?" Marcus asks, panting between breathes. "Assassin got assassinated?"

"Don't say that." I snap, even though in the back of my mind i can feel that some thing's wrong, but Seth doesn't scream, no amount of pain could break the protective shell that he has built around his mind. "He's fine."

"I don't think anything can kill that bastard." Hasta says with a small chuckle. I smile so myself and look up to the canopy, it must be the afternoon by now and we're still no where closer to the Machines, where Seth is waiting for us to arrive. Right now he's probably hunting for food so we can all eat as soon as we get to the Machines. I stand back up, the pain is my legs is gone and I feel able to walk again. Marcus and Liz sit leaning against each other and playing with the same plants that sprout from the ground. Hasta turns to look at me from his star position on the ground. "Anyone else hungry?"

"I am." Marcus replies, and the grumbled nods and groans indicate that everyone is feeling the same as Marcus. A flock of birds flies through the canopy and all I can think is if I could hit one of them, maybe we could have a small meal.

"Ready?" Hasta asks us, I help him to his feet and we all prepare to walk again.

* * *

We walk and until sunset, it'll only be about two more hours till we finally reach the Machines and I can be reunited with Seth and feel a sense of security again. Even though the walk is easy, the silence we all share has played hell on my mind. Images of Callum, Kate, my family, and everyone in the Districts smash into my mind like a train and I know that the feeling of homesickness is hitting me, I wonder how bad Seth and Hasta feel? Knowing that they have chosen to never return home. Hasta leads me through to the edge of the forest, we are forced to climb a short but steep hill then stand and look over the edge of another cliff face.

"Why we here?" I ask him with a slight frown. He takes a deep breath in then exhales with a smile.

"I just thought you'd like to see the sun go down." He replies, staring into the large red sun in the sky that causes the clouds to glow a deep orange. I smile at him and as the sun breaks away from view he turns back to face me. "It's amazing isn't it?"

"Looks just like home." I reply, even thought it's not true the thought of home fills me with a sense of hope. Hasta stairs into the distance.

"Nothing like my home." He replies.

"Tell me about District 4." I ask in a soothing tone, the questions catches him off guard and he turns to face me. "I want to know what District 4 is like."

"Well..." He sighs, running a hand through his hair and looking down at my feet. "We have a long beaches, lots of boats, and vast array of jellyfish."

"Jellyfish?" I ask with a confused expression. Hasta laughs and look back up to my eyes. He stares at me in disbelief.

"You don't know what a jellyfish is?" He asks, utterly surprised by my ignorance. He frowns for a moment, searching for words. "Well it's like a bag, with noodles hanging from the bottom."

"Bollocks!" I reply, laughing at the idea.

"No, no, no it's true!" Hasta replies, laughing to himself. He holds his fist in the air and uses the finger on his other hand to act like little legs underneath. "They go around like this, see?"

"Like I believe that." I reply, giving him a quick punch on the shoulder and withdrawing the bow from my back as I walk down the hill. He picks his spear and shield back up and follows behind.

"I swear on my life it's true." He promises, yet I still don't believe him. A fish looking like a bag with noodles stuck to the bottom? I've never seen or heard of a fish anything like that. I nod in return and he shakes his head back and forth, I'll give it to him, he's persistent.

"Everything okay?" Marcus asks with a frown. I nod in reply.

"Just wanted to watch the sunset." Hasta replies, taking the lead again, I follow behind him with Liz at my back. She's amazingly quiet and her grey eyes make me feel as if she's just as broken as Seth. It's eerie looking at her, it's like watching Kate staring back into my eyes. "We'll be at the Machines soon."

"How soon'd you think?" Marcus asks with a cheeky smile, why is he so excited about getting to the Machines?

I let the thought slide from my mind and focus, the forest has fallen dark now and the only illumination is coming from the full moon that hangs overhead like a dull light. It breaks through the trees and lights certain parts of the forest, making the dark parts seem like an abyss of terror. I brave through, if I can just keep focused and stay alive I can see Seth. That's when the Capitol anthem plays and through the trees I see the picture of a girl I do not recognise in the sky. The lights fade and I know that Seth is alive.

* * *

We walk until what I'm guessing is about ten o'clock. The Machines is a strange place, full of twisting pathways of metal and rising pillars with ropes connecting to whatever they can find. Liz walks under a shack and yelps. Marcus runs over and she points to the roof, what is that dripping? Blood? We find a ladder and climb the short climb. The shack is full of darkness and none of us seem brave enough to enter.

"I'll go." Hasta volunteers, lifting his spear over his shield and marching into the darkness. He walks in and all I can hear is his footsteps. Suddenly he curses. "Claire! Get here now!" I draw my arrow, run into the room and find Hasta leaning over a body, Seth's body. I drop my weapon and cover my face with both hands. He lies there in a pool of his own blood, an arrow and a knife on either side, he has clearly tried to stitch himself up and used some strange substance from a parachute to cover the wound, but I can see the blood vessels around the cuts bulging a dark red even in this light. I run to him and place my hand on his neck, he's still breathing.

"What happened?" I ask, my breathing deepening and becoming more frequent. Hasta shakes his head and I can hear Liz and Marcus gasping behind us. I take a moment to compose myself, I've never dealt with a wound this bad but I know the basics. "We need to get him out of this blood." I instruct, even though moving a patient normally isn't the best idea, neither is leaving him in a puddle that could easily infect him. Hasta throws his equipment into the corner of the room and drags Seth by his shoulder to the opposite corner. The trail of blood he leaves clearly shows just how much blood he's lost, I'm amazed he's still alive. Then i hear a groan escape his lips. "Seth!" i scream in shock.

"Claire..." He manages to say as he struggles to breath. He moans in pain as we move him and I search through my bag for something that can help. Nothing except the water bottle. I lift his mask over his nose and his fists clench as I run my finger over his burnt skin.

"Come on, Seth." I try to entice him with the bottle. "You need water." He replies with a noise that sounds half like a roar and a grunt, when I lower his mask he lets out a long drawn sigh. Even now he doesn't want the world to see his face, can it really be that bad? He coughs violently and I know that he's not getting any better.

"Come on, Seth, we all need you." Hasta says, placing his hands on Seth's shoulders. Seth tries to bring his hand up to his face his hands shakes half way and then his arm collapses. Hasta places his finger and thumb on the centre of the glasses and gives a questioning look, Seth nods lightly and Hasta removes his glasses. I'm taken back for a moment by Seth's deep emerald eyes that shine in the night like a diamond among coal. Even with the beauty in his eyes, I can't help but notice that look of hollow numbness and pain that glistens through them, and around his eyes you can clearly see parts of red burnt skin. "You can make it, we just need to get you food."

"I'll go hunting right now." I volunteer and jumping to my feet. I'm surprised when Hasta grabs my hand and shakes his head at me. I frown at him but he pulls me back to the floor.

"Get some rest." He instructs, I go to object but he cuts me off. "I'll take care of Seth."

"All night?" I ask in surprise, Hasta nods and I turn to Seth looking for answers, by the look in his eyes I can tell he doesn't want me to see him like this. I nod back and wipe my nose as I stand. "Me, Liz and Marcus will find another shack to sleep in."

"There's one above us." Marcus says, exiting this shack and pointing to the other shack that is stacked on top. "And there's a ladder by here." He begins climbing and Liz follows. I turn back to Hasta and Seth who are looking at me with very different expressions. I give them both a quick kiss on the foreheads then bid them goodnight.

* * *

I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling with intense eyes. The groans come from bellow at random intervals and after each one I expect to hear the cannon sound in the distance. I'm amazed how Seth is still alive, I don't think anyone else could have made it this long. I then fade into short bursts of sleep, every sounds Seth makes I wake back up and prepare for the cannon, but when the arena falls silent I know that he's surviving, not truly living, but he's surviving. I continue like this through the night until the sun rises behind the Machines and I know Seth has survived the night. I grab my bow and head down stairs. Hasta sits next to Seth, deep bags under his eyes, but never blinking, never letting his guard drop.

"Do you want to get some sleep?" I ask him, but he continues to stare at Seth who's head is lying against his chest with his eyes closed. Hasta shakes his head.

"I'll watch him, you get food." He orders, I don't object, we need food and I'm the only bugger with a ranged weapon beside Seth. This also means I have time to practice with my new found weapon. I walk up and through the winding paths of the Machines and into the forest that I walked through yesterday. It's amazingly peaceful here and i can completely understand why Seth loved hunting so much.

I stop for a moment and listen, trying to see if any animals are moving among the forest. I stand in a static suspense, then I hear a rustling to the side of me. I crouch and pull the string back on my bow, holding it horizontally. A boar comes from the bushes to my side and I aim for it's head, what little practice I had done in the Ruins and woods I know that my breathing is key, it's exactly the same as with the crossbow back in the training centre. I inhale slowly as to not give my position away, straighten my back and bow and let the arrow fly. It cuts through the air an embeds itself in the boars neck. The animal squeals louder than I would have hoped, falls to the floor and starts spasming. Even though I know this will feed the pack, I can't help but feel sorry as I watch the poor animal struggle to keep breathing. I take another arrow and execute the creature at point blank range. I remove the arrow with a crack as I pull the arrow from the skull. I sigh slightly and begin dragging the body back to the Machines. That's when I hear it, a low rumble, I dive into the ferns to the side of me and freeze. For about two minutes I focus on the breathing, next thing I notice I hear the footsteps, turning to the right I spot it. The lizard, which is the name we have all agreed on, prodding the corpse of the boar with it's nose. The Lizard is about twelve foot tall and thirty foot long, with powerful bag legs that it walks on and long thing arms with a long curved claws. It's long mouth prodding the corpse. The lizard takes in two deep inhales from the nose and growls, it must know I'm here, but then I spot the girl from District 4 with her trident. She screams and runs through the woods as fast as she can. The Lizard turns to her, roars then gives chase. i waste no time, as soon as it's gone I grab the legs of the boar's and drag the body out of the forest as fast as possible.

* * *

I step through the shack and find Hasta sitting asleep next to Seth. I smile slightly, the two of them would have made an amazing team. I tap Hasta on the shoulder and he slowly come back around.

"I've got lunch." I say with a small smile, he eyes the pig and instantly he starts to drool. He looks back at me with a huge grin beaming across his face. He rubs his eyes and I help him to his feet. "Where's the others?"

"They went looking for wood for when you get back." Hasta stretches then turns back to Seth, who is still asleep on the floor. Hasta smiles to himself and walks out into the morning sunlight. He covers his eyes as he is forced to adjust. "Any trouble?"

"I saw the Lizard." I admit, the colour from Hasta's face drains as he turns to face me.

"Did it find you?" He asks in concern, I shake my head.

"No, it went after the girl from your District." I reply he frowns at the comment.

"He went after Acca? She can take care of herself." He dismisses the idea of her death fairly quickly and I can tell something is up. Then I hear coughing from behind. we both turn on the spot quickly and spot Seth, staring into the corner where the his blood slowly drains below and starts to shake violently. We rush over to him and Hasta grabs his shoulders and tries to stop him. "Seth!"

"Seth!" i scream at him, forcing his eyes to connect to mine, I look for that deep emerald colour and spot only black.


	18. Chapter 18 - Fond Memories

I shake violently as the blood is struggling to pump through my body. My breathing rate keeps changing rapidly and no matter how hard I try to control my body all I can feel is pain shooting through me, hunger and thirst claw and my throat and I can feel my vision going. images and sounds start flying through my head, fire and blood all pouring into my mind, it's like I'm living a nightmare. My vision fades to black and I know i can't fight the horrors back any longer and as I fade from this world I grasp my head around my ears and scream in agony.

* * *

_I smile sweetly at my father as he picks me up from the floor. He smiles to me and runs a hand through my short black hair. His emerald eyes shine in the morning sun and I laugh as his short stumble tickles the side of my face. My oldest brother, John, walks over to me with his crossbow in his hand._

_"Clumsy isn't he?" He asks Dad with a small smile, Dad scowls at John and places a large arm over my shoulder._

_"He's only five."My Dad says in my defence. He chuckles to himself. "And he's already better than you with a crossbow." John scowls as his friend, William, comes from behind the house._

_"Good morning, Mr Evergreen, Seth." William says to us with a small smile. Dad winks at Blight._

_"Morning sapling." He replies with a smile across his face. "What are your plans today, boys?"_

_"Shoot some old cans." John replies, spinning the crossbow around his arm and catching it again. I stare in wonder as my brother handles the weapon with such finesse, if only I was that dexterous. William laughs and my brother smacks him in the shoulder with the butt of the crossbow. William punches back and runs away, with my brother sprinting after him. dad laughs for a moment, sighs happily and turns his attention back to me._

_"I think we should take you out into the forest today, it's a Sunday and your mam has gone to town." I smile and bounce excitedly._

_"Can we go to the river?" I ask in anticipation. Dad scratches his beard and looks into the sky whilst letting out a low hum. Grab both of his large muscular hands and bounce on the spot. "Pleeeeeeease?"_

_"Oh if we must." He replies with a huge smile across his face.I cheer happily as he grabs both my hands in his and swing me back and forth as we walk to the river._

_It takes us about twenty minutes from our small home to reach the river. Dad's been taking me to the river recently so that he can teach me to swim. He places me gently on the floor and removes his top, shoes and socks. It's amazing how muscular my Father is and I can only hope to bed as strong as he is one day.I do the same and we both stand next to the river in our cargo trousers. He smiles to me._

_"Remember what you do first?" He asks looking down at me. I take a deep breathe in and hold my chest out so it appears twice the size, I also puff up my cheeks to make it seem like I'm holding lots of air, even though I'm clearly not. Suddenly I feel a foot at my back and I fly into the middle of the river and land in the water with a splash. The water flows over me and I struggle to break through the surface as all the air leaves my body in one go. When I do manage to pull myself out of the water and into the air I see my Father, bent over and laughing so hard that tears stream down his face. I go to moan but he just carries on laughing as if it was nothing. That's when I catch it and I can't help but laugh as well. He climbs into the water, still laughing, and slowly swims over to me. He scoops me up in his arms, using only his legs to keep himself afloat. He lets me go and I struggle to keep my head above the water. "Use your legs and arms at the same time."He instructs._

_"I can't." I start to say, but as my arms and legs move in a fluid motion together I start to steady myself above the surface. My Father smiles as I giggle to myself._

_"See," he begins and I know one of his little speeches is to come, "if you don't give up, you can achieve nearly anything."_

_"Anything?" I ask._

_"Anything." He repeats with a small smile. I wait for a moment and ask my Father._

_"What happened to Grandpa?" I ask, his face instantly turns into a frown as he swims me to the edge of the river. He sits me on the edge of the river and sits next to me. "Mammy said you'd tell me." My Father sighs, lets out a long drawn sigh and turn to face me._

_"You've heard the song? Northern Ash?" My Father asks. I shake my head, even though he knows that I have I want to hear him sing. He coughs and his deep low voice begins to echo through the forest._

_Far away, the northern trees do rise_

_With courage shining in our eyes_

_We answer the call_

_For one and all_

_To free our home, from all the lies._

_Our forests burn to ash_

_Our soldiers hacked and slashed_

_We fought like wolves_

_For freedom ensures_

_That from the ashes_

_The last fire catches._

_And when our heroes fell_

_Our freedom was gone as well_

_Yet one day soon_

_They will hear our tune._

_I smile sweetly at my father as he finishes the song. Yet he still hasn't answered my question._

_"You've been taught about the Dark Days in school haven't you?" He asks looking me in my eyes._

_"When all the Districts rebellioned?"I ask with a small frown. My father chuckles._

_"When the Districts rebelled, Seth." He corrects me with a small sigh. Dad smiles at me for a moment and runs his hand through my drenched hair. "You're grandfather was a rebel."_

_"Was he!?" i ask in utter shock, my grandfather a rebel? That sounded like the most amazing thing ever at the time._

_"Oh yes, he was one of the best." My Father stares into the water. "The rebels from our District used to lure the Capitol into the forest, then use what ever bows and axes they could find to ambush were one of the most dangerous fighting forces in the Dark Days, it's why the Capitol let us use weapons because of the respect shown to our District's fighting force, and because of all the animals the live in the north."_

_"So we are allowed to hunt because we were good at fighting?" My Father frowns slightly and tilts his head._

_"Well we're not allowed to keep the meat, that's our secret." He says to me with a small wink. "But we wouldn't give up our weapons, so when we lost the war, they took our guns away but let some of us keep our bows and axes, it's why we can walk around the town with our crossbows."_

_"So why doesn't everyone have one?" I ask in confusion, he smiles to me._

_"You need to show your safe and not mad before they can give you one."He replies, placing his top on and getting his socks ready. "Water's getting cold, do you want some stew?"_

_"Yes please!" i ask with a huge smile over my face. I get dressed, take my Father's hand and together we begin walking back towards our house._

* * *

I come back around with Claire staring me in the face, my mask is up over my nose and from the strange feeling down my throat and stomach I can tell that I've been fed and watered. Most of my blood from the room has been cleared up and I know that I've been out cold for some time. A dead pig lies in the far corner of the room and i can't help but frown.

"I'm sorry I pulled your mask up." Claire says, placing another small chunk of cooked meat into my mouth. I don't even need to chew I just swallow the boar meat and carry on staring at her. "But we needed to get some food into you."

"It..." I cough as I struggle to swallow the piece of meat. "It's okay." She smiles at me and brings the water bottle up my lips. I let the liquid flow down my neck and I smile at the fluid reaches my stomach.

"You had some kind of fit or something earlier." She says, placing another chunk of meat into my mouth. I swallow this piece far easier considering that my throat has been softened by the water. "You started screaming, I'm guessing it was a mixture of blood loss and dehydration."

"No idea?" I manage to say with a small smile. Claire smiles back, she's not medically trained and she knows that I know that.

"Well you're alive." She retorts, lightly punching my shoulder. "So it's a start."

"It's a miracle." I hear coming from my left. I manage to look to my left where I find Marcus leaning up against the doorway of the shack. Marcus moves forward, dragging his pick-axe behind him. "No one else could have survived that."

"I'm sure you'd do fine." Claire replies, sticking her tongue out at Marcus. He rolls his eyes and comes to stand next to me. I try to meet his gaze but I can't find the strength to lift my head up further than his chest. He kneels down to me.

"Hasta and Liz are filling up the water bottles from a stream we found in the forest." Marcus informs me, I nod and let me head fall down to my chest. I feel a pair on finger on my neck and I chuckle, I can't die that easily! She lets the fingers slide and lifts my head up so I'm looking into her eyes.

"How do you feel?" She asks, I shrug. She runs her hand along my T-shirt and lifts it up so my wounds... My wounds aren't there? There's obvious scarring and I can still see the stitches which haven't been removed but the wound is completely healed. I look back up at her. "We need to get your strength up and you should be walking."

"Capitol medicine, good stuff ai?" Marcus asks with a small smile. I laugh and attempt to stand. Claire shakes her head, but instead I grab her shoulder and use it as a lever. She has no choice, and so helps me stand. I struggle to find my footing but Claire holds me up. Marcus leaves the shack and waits for us to leave the room. I follow behind, each step proving difficult. I step into the sunlight with Claire at my side. The glare from the late afternoon sun is blinding and I struggle to keep my eyes open. That's when I spot Hasta and Liz, fair play to Hasta he looks worse than I do. He smiles as soon as he spots me and hands me one of the many bottles that he carries in his backpack. I gulp down the liquid, searching for the strength to do even this simple task is taxing but I know that the pack needs me.

"How are you feeling?" Hasta asks as I hand the bottle that I completely emptied back to him.

"Like shit." I reply with a small chuckle. Hasta laughs, and wraps my arm around his shoulder, allowing Claire to walk freely. "Updates?"

"Claire killed a boar, apart from that there have been no deaths since you've been out." He replies, walking me to a railing by the edge of the pathway. He lets go and allows me to hold myself up using the rusted railing, I look him in the eyes, trying to ignore the fact that they can all see some of the burnt skin on my face.

"How bad was I?" I ask with a serious expression, I pull the mask back down as Hasta struggles to find the words.

"You lost loads and loads of blood." He admits, pointing to the trail of dried blood from the post where the rope is attached to the Cornucopia and the end of the path that leads into the shack. "Then you had that black out thing earlier." I recall the memory of me and my Father from when I was younger, a lot younger. "Be glad you received that parachute, you'd be dead for sure otherwise."

"Blight's looking after us, it seems." Claire adds, leaning onto the rusted railing and looking at me. I let go of the railing and slowly, very slowly, start limping back into the shack. I find my glasses, pick them up and place them on. "I don't think you walking around like this is a good idea."

"We need to move." I say, looking up at the Cornucopia. Why didn't the Careers come after me? Surely they didn't all stay to help Ludo? At least one of them must have thought they could kill me. I walk forward and start to stumble but Hasta catches me.

"I got you." He whispers as he helps me stand. Hasta turns to Marcus and Claire. "We'll move Seth then come back from the boar." Liz comes up from under my other arm and helps to walk me. "Can you do one last check of the forest?"

"Sure." Claire replies with a small smile, taking the bow from over her torso. She smiles to Marcus who gives a polite nod back and the two of them make their way along the metal pathways and into the woods ahead. I look forward, there's still plenty of the Machines to explore and there might be a more defendable position.


	19. Chapter 19 - All's Fair

I jog into the woods with Marcus and his pick-axe just behind me, I keep my bow in my hands constantly as we scan the area. It doesn't take too long before we find where I had my encounter with the Lizard. Marcus examines the claw marks in the ground and on the trees,truly this beast is massive. I stop for a moment to catch my breath.

"How far ahead do you think they are?" Marcus asks, resting his pick-axe over his shoulder. I shrug in return.

"I don't know if I'm honest." I reply looking further down the path that the Lizard has carved through the trees. I take a second to inspect the damage done by such a beast. It's amazing just how powerful this creature truly is, it's able to uproot tree and SMACK! A sudden pain shoots through the back of my head and I fall to the floor. I groan for a moment and then a pick-axe comes down on my head. I roll to the right to dodge it. Marcus glares at me with the eyes of hate and I react on instinct. I pull back the string on my bow and fire the arrow that rests in it. Marcus ducks behind a tree and I know that he's got the advantage in the woods.

I sprint as quick as I can back to the Machine, hoping that the different levels can be used to try and outreach Marcus and his pick-axe. By the time I reach the Machines the rest of my pack are nowhere to be seen. I grab onto a piece of rope that connects two separate walkways. Marcus is a fair bit behind me and I decide to start climbing as quick. By the time I've climbed the ten foot gap to the next walkway Marcus is already taking cover behind me.

"Give up already, Claire." He shouts, sprinting from behind a shack and to a barrel. I try desperately to get a steady aim on him but he's clearly in cover.

"Bit sly wasn't it?" I ask, moving down the walkway but keep my bow trailed on the the barrel that he is hiding behind. Quick as a whippet he flies up the ladder and dives into the shack that Seth was in last night. I move towards him carefully.

"It wasn't going to happen eventually." He replies, taking a quick peek around the corner. "I thought I'd take my chances."

"Yeah? Well... You thought wrong." I reply, right now, on national television, I am making a proper prat of myself. I slide around so I can see into the dark, but he's gone and a clear hole in the floor has appeared where he once stood. I feel a wave of panic flush over me as my eyes dart back and forth looking for any sign of the traitor. I can hear his footsteps pounding against the rusted metal but I can't focus on the point of origin. Then half walkway collapses and lands on the walkway ten feet below, I love my balance and roll down the slope, landing in a heap at the end of the ramp. I cough up what dust I had collected on the fall. I spot Marcus. He jumps up on the railing and with a soundless speed I pull back the string on my bow and let the arrow fly into his abdomen, he screams, loses balance and falls from the walkway. I rush to the side and watch as he falls into the roaring river hundreds of feet below. A cannon sounds and I start breathing irregularly.

I've just killed another human being, and as the adrenaline wears away from me the consequences of my actions will start to seep in. I had to do it, and I know that I'd be dead if I didn't, but what will Liz think when I tell her that I killed her District partner? I doubt she'll stay in the pack any longer and that will mean our pack is even weaker than it was before. I take a deep breath in to calm my nerves, then follow the path that I know the rest of my pack had travelled.

* * *

It doesn't take long to catch up with them, carrying Seth and what they could of the dead boar has slowed them more than I would have thought. They sit in a small cove, a small lake sits in the centre of the small path of grass with a willow tree growing over the top. It looks truly peaceful and I know that I'm going to corrupt this peace with the news I bring. The trio turn from facing the small lake and smile to see me, Liz's face turns to a frown when she notices the absence of a certain Tribute.

"Marcus tried to kill me." I say bluntly, there's no point beating around the bush. The man was a clear traitor with no sense of dignity. Tears start to build in Liz's eyes. "So I killed him."

"Are you okay?" Hasta asks, laying Seth next to the willow tree and walking over to comfort me. I shake my head and allow his strong arms to embrace me. I begin to sod quietly, how did Hasta and Seth take this mental beating? I can clearly remember every detail on Marcus' face as the arrow pierced the skin and he fell to his death. Hasta quietly whispers in my ear and I'm amazed just how much like Callum he is acting, and I hope that Callum isn't thinking that me and Hasta are bonding a bit too much. I pull away and wipe the tears away from my eyes.

"Did he die quickly?" Liz asks, standing next to me, struggling to hold back the pain that courses through her veins. I struggle to find the words, but I know that she deserves the truth.

"No." I admit with a heavy heart, I can see her try and hold back the tears but as the water builds in her eyes. I take in deep breath in and begin explaining. "He attacked me in the woods, he chased me back to the Machines, then when he was chasing me he went to jump over the railing, but I shot him."

"What happened then?" She asks with an expression of horror over her face. I take a quick glance to Hasta who is hinging on my every word. I sigh.

"The arrow hit his stomach." I say, pointing on mine to where the arrow hit Marcus. "He fell off the Machines and the cannon blasted as he hit the water."

"The water would have killed him instantly." Hasta says to Liz with a small smile, although I know that he would have died in agony. Liz smiles to herself, then quickly rushes over to the willow tree with the sound of sobbing following her. I look over to Seth who, as far as I can tell, is staring at me from his sunglasses. He slowly stands, using the willow as a hoist, he slowly stumbles over to me and I catch him in my arms. He wraps his around my shoulders and whispers in my ear.

"I'm so sorry, Claire." His voice losing all it's harsh edge and transforming into a smooth whisper that flows off his tongue. For a moment I just hold him there, Seth is apologising? More to the fact he's being nice? He I snap out of my trance and squeeze him gently.

"We knew it was going to happen anyway." I whisper back and he chuckles slightly, his warped sense of humour shining through. I turn my attention away from the boys and to Liz, who is sitting under the willow tree with her knees up to her chest. I sit next to her but she moves away slightly.

"This place remind me of a song I sang as a child." Liz says, running her hand against the bark of the willow. "We all learnt the songs, and Marcus could sing it perfectly."

"Look... Liz..."

"I know you had to." She cuts me off and I turn my head to her in surprise, she stares into the glistening lake. "What happens to me?"

"You're still part of the pack." Hasta adds, and Claire looks up at him. "Until then we protect you."

"And after?" She asks, Hasta looks down at his feet, not knowing what to say. Then Seth limps over and kneels in front of her.

"We go our separate ways, and hope we don't find each other." He says in his soothing tone, which I am still shocked to hear, I didn't even think he knew how to be soothing.

"What happens if it turns into just me, you and Hasta?" I ask Seth, he looks up to Hasta and Hasta looks back down. Hasta extends a hand which Seth takes and he allows himself to be hoisted to his feet.

"We fight." Seth replies, staring straight at Hasta who is staring back.

"And what happens to the winner?" I ask. Seth slowly withdraws his sword from his back and holds it vertically in front of him, his dark and powerful posture returning as he extends his arm towards Hasta. Hasta places his hand around Seth's and the two stand locked together by a weapon.

"Who ever wins falls on the sword." Hasta replies with a determined expression on his face, my heart sinks as I think of both of them sliding down the blade.

* * *

I lay in the cove, looking up at the stars. The anthem had played earlier in the evening and Marcus' face was in the sky for all to see. Even though the stars are a simple projection shown by the Capitol I can't help but admire their beauty. Everyone else has gone to sleep except Seth, who leans against the willow with his crossbow armed and ready. I roll over onto my stomach and look up to him. The moon lights up the cove with a silver glow and he looks like a creature from a fairy tale. His head slowly turns to that he faces me.

"I can't sleep, do you want me to take watch?" I ask with a small smile, Seth shrugs, tapping the ground next to him. I pick myself up and sit next to him, leaning up against the willow just as he does. I look to him but he continues to stair down the path to the Machines. "Can't sleep?"

"Afraid to." He replies, avoiding my gaze. I frown at his comment, I've never known Seth to be afraid of anything.

"Why?" I ask, again he continues to stair down the path.

"Nightmares." He replies. I place a hand on his shoulder, his head snaps to the left and he looks down at my hand, then looks up to me.

"Get some sleep, I'll wake you if you start shaking." I say with a smile, he stares at me for a few seconds, as if processing what I have just said, then his head falls to his chest and his breathing deepens. He really must have been struggling to stay awake. I gently take the crossbow from his hand and place it on my lap, there's no point in giving a man with nightmares the means to accidentally shoot himself. I smile as he groans slightly in his sleep. It's so peaceful here, and I wish I had spent more time in the woods back home, something Seth will never be able to do again.

I spend the rest of the night just admiring my surrounding, that's until Hasta wakes himself after rolling into the lake and decides he'd like to take watch for the rest of the night. Since Seth took that knife and arrow to the chest he hasn't been sleeping well, maybe it's to do with the idea that he'll have to face that pain as well? I tuck myself next to Seth and lay the crossbow next to me, I look over to Seth and fade into a state of relaxation.

* * *

_I walk slowly through the forest with my bow armed and ready. Each step I take, as silent as a mouse. Suddenly I hear a crash behind me, I turn to see Marcus standing with his pick-axe, his eyes full of red hate. I fire the arrow and it embeds itself in his neck, but still he keeps walking towards me. I fire another and it hits him in the heart, but he doesn't stop. I turn and sprint, electing to retreat through the forest as fast as my legs can carry me. Every time I turn my head I see him getting closer, running after me with snarling sharpened teeth. I sprint around a corner and find Hasta and Seth, both standing with a sword vertically in front of them. The two extends their arms, spin and fall backwards onto the blades. I cry out their names as the swords burst through their chest and the blood runs like a waterfall, but I know they can't hear me. Then the pick-axe embeds itself in my right shoulder and I fall my knees, screaming in pain. Marcus comes around my, slowly running his finger around my head so that he stands in front of me. I can see Hasta and Seth sliding down their swords either side of Marcus, who stands like a mutt ready to kill. I bow my head and prepare for the worst, images of Callum, my family, Kate, Seth and Hasta all happy and smiling dash across my vision as the axe is removed from my shoulder and brought down on my head._

* * *

I awake with a silent scream, knowing that it was only a dream but it felt so real. Hasta spins on the spot and faces me.

"Everything okay?" He asks with a concerned expression. I sigh and smile to him, it was just a dream.

"Bad dream." I say, lifting myself from the place I had slept and walking over to him. I take a quick glance back at Seth and Liz who are still asleep. I would have expected those two to have nightmares, not me. When I turn back to Hasta I catch him staring at me with intense eyes. I give a questioning look but he seems to be staring right through me, his eyes adjust slightly and he looks directly into my eyes.

"Want to talk about it?" He asks, at least he's trying to be kind. I shake my head, talking about this sort of thing seems to send chills down my spine, and I understand why Seth never spoke of his nightmares, or spoke at all actually. My sudden understanding makes me feel intrusive for everything I've asked Seth, maybe pushing him isn't the right idea at all? I push the thoughts to the back of my mind and pick up my bow, the small amount of boar that Hasta managed to stuff in his bag is running low and we're going to be needing food soon. Hasta senses where I want to be, gives me a quick nod and I jog into the woods ahead.


	20. Chapter 20 - Hunter

I rise slowly from where I slept, the obvious pain that I had felt is now gone and replaced with a mild ache, that Capitol medicine is truly amazing. I lift myself up, without any assistance, and stretch off the mild ache. Hasta turns on his heels and give me a small smile, I nod back and glance around to find Claire, she and her bow are gone. Liz still lays under the willow, no one has the heart to remove her from her blissful sleep.

"Claire?" I ask, not taking me eyes of the sleeping girl from 12.

"She went hunting." Hasta replies as he comes to stand next to me. I turn my head to face him and cross my arms. "You're looking better."

"I feel it." I reply, leaning back on my left leg. If it wasn't for Blight sending that parachute I would have bled out in that shack, not the most noble of ways to go out I must admit. That's all in the past now, but still I know that a sharp blade will be the end of me.

"If you're fighting fit again, are we going after the Careers?" Hasta asks, the question catches me off guard and I can't help but stare at him for a few seconds while I try and figure out the answer. The Careers are outnumbering us and we need the thin the pack otherwise we're going to be over-run. I stare down to the lake and plans formulate in my head. I visualise the Cornucopia and picture different tactics on how to attack the Careers. I shake my head.

"We need to separate them." I state, Hasta nods along as I speak. "Give them two things to fight over."

"Two things to fight over?" Hasta questions me, a small frown crosses his face, I nod but he still doesn't get the idea.

"Let's get them hunting." I reply with a small chuckle. Hasta's face turns from confusion to shock then to anger.

"You're going to use us as bait!?" Hasta questions, I've used myself as bait when I've been hunting before and every time it has worked. He shakes his head, sighs then faces me. "What about you?"

"I'll be the other half of the bait."

"Other half?" He's struggling to keep his voice down and, although my plan is utterly insane, it will work. "What do you have in mind?" He finally manages to ask.

"Ludo's gonna take his best fighters and come after me." I say, he nod in reply, this is obvious. "But he'll leave his second in command with the others, you," I say pointing straight at his chest, "and the rest of the pack will then get the attention of the other half and they'll chase after you."

"I'm not sure about this." Hasta states with a concerned tone, he looks down at the floor and shakes his head. "How do you think you can kill three or four Careers in one go?"

"Easy." I reply with a small smile, even though I know he can't see it. "I lure them to the Lizard."

* * *

We sit in silence, it's early in the morning still and until Claire returns from her hunt there is no need to wake Liz. Hasta sits with his spear laid across his lap and I know that he's considering my plan. Even though it's insane, and extremely dangerous, Hasta can see the logic behind my plan. After a long pause he slowly turns his head to me. I turn mine to face him.

"How we going to do this?" He asks in a deflated tone. He doesn't like this plan, I don't like this plan either to be honest, but if I can kill half of the Careers in one go I'm willing to take the risk.

I explain my plan, how I'll convince the Career to create a temporary alliance to bring down the Lizard, which I intend to do, and whilst this is happening Hasta and the rest of the pack will gain the rest of the Career's attention whatever way he wants to. I'll hunt the Lizard with Ludo and his pack and as soon as the fighting breaks out I hide, wait till they've all killed or wounded each other and then finish them both off. Then we'll meet where we first grouped after the Bloodbath.

"You sure this will work?" Hasta asks with a expression of confidence, but his eyes betray his true feelings. I nod confidently in hope that my confidence will rub off on him. "If this work's you're a genius." He says with a small chuckle, I laugh with him and let out a sigh half relieved and half nervous. Then we hear a small groan from behind us.

"Morning." Liz's voice echoes through the cove as she yawns like a stretching cat. She rolls over and smiles at the both of us, why is she so happy. She lifts her head, takes a look around and the smile fades away to an expressionless mask. The escape that she had in her sleep is gone, and now she's back in the arena. Me and Hasta reply the compliment. "Where's Claire?"

"Looking for food." Hasta replies as she comes to sit next to us with her small pick-axe gripped firmly in her hand. "When she gets back we'll eat and then get moving again." Hasta looks to me to confirm the idea and I give a quick nod to show I agree. "Sleep well?" He asks her politely.

"As well as I could." She replies with a small smile. It's good to see that's she's trying to keep a positive outlook, I've watched Tributes descend into depression over the past years and how they have died in fear and agony. It isn't long after that Claire comes along, skipping into the cove with four squirrels in her hand.

"Dinner's up!" She says happily, but Liz clearly avoids her eyes.

* * *

We sit and eat from a very small fire to avoid smoke. Most the of the conversation dashes between Claire and Hasta, me and Liz only speak when spoken to and from what I can tell she enjoys the silence more than me. Then Hasta fills Claire and Liz in of my plan, I get glares from Claire all through his explanation.

"You don't seriously think they'll let you go do you?" Claire asks with a frown on her face. I shrug in reply.

"We need to split them up." I reply with a cold tone. Claire opens her mouth but no words flow from her tongue, my logic is sound and she knows it. "I can do this."

"He seems confident about it." Liz mutters and I know Claire heard it, thank god the rest of the pack are siding with me on this one. If I'm honest, I need to take down Ludo on my own, ever since we first met we've had an animosity than won't be settled without bloodshed. It's his "warrior" way. Claire caves, and I'm glad of it.

"Fine. We'll do it your way." She retorts in a stroppy teenage voice, sometimes I forget she wasn't forced to mature as quick as I was. "When are we going?"

"I'm going now." I reply, standing up and checking my gear. My tomahawk and sword haven't left my back but my crossbow has been lying next to me most of the night. I give to a quick clean with my covered hand as I wait for the shouting match that is soon to follow.

"You can't leave now!" Hasta objects, i was expecting Claire to speak first but it's obvious that Hasta doesn't like the idea of being stuck in charge of and guarding two Tributes. "We don't know if you're healed up yet."

"Oh?" I ask in a half sarcastic tone as he stands to defy me. I drop the crossbow and swing my leg from the left and catch him in the abdomen. He bends over as I slide beneath his chest and throw him over my shoulder with such ease it's almost humerus. He lands on his back with a distinct thud and a loud cough. "I think I'm ready." I reply, picking my crossbow back up and beginning to walk back to the Machines. I feel a light hand rest on my shoulder and a chill runs down my spine. I freeze as the sensation flows through my nerves and I struggle to think of what to do next. Claire moves herself in front of me, gracefully rather than forcefully.

"Please, don't get hurt this time." She whispers in a low and hollow voice. A lump starts to build in my throat, is this what my brothers felt like when they marched themselves to their deaths and left what they cared about behind? "We still need you." She looks back up from my feet and gives a small smile. I react on instinct, pull my mask above my face and gently kiss her forehead. There's no sensation of longing in it, it's the kiss a father would give his daughter, or a brother would give a young sister. The small kiss that means I'll return from the war. I pull the mask back down over my face as tears begin to build in her eyes. "Promise me you'll be fine?"

"I promise." I reply, bowing my head slightly. As I walk away I can't help but stop and look back once last time. The pack stand there, watching me walk away and as they all raises their hands in farewell I can't help but feel an emotion I haven;t felt in so long. It stirs inside me like a snake wrapping itself around it's prey, and the feeling tugs at my heart like nothing I have ever felt. I can feel my wall slowly beginning to crumble. I give my signature nod, straighten my back and walk back towards the shack that has been tainted red by my blood.

* * *

I slide up the rope and break neck speeds, the machine we had left on the rope that led to the Cornucopia was untouched and I couldn't help but feel grateful that I wasn't having to climb all the way back to this hell hole again. The machine smacks the post at the top of the Cornucopia and I am flung into the air, I draw my tomahawk and sword in mid-air and land with a roll. I know the Careers have seen that entrance and I hope it made the impression I wanted it to. As soon as they draw their weapons I drop mine.

"Wait!" I shout, placing my hands on my head and taking a step forward. The Careers all stop for a moment, half in shock and half in confusion. "We need to talk."

"Do we?" A voice comes from inside the Cornucopia. Then from out of the shadow steps Ludo, in his broken armour. A clear hole in his helmet from where my bolt had pierced the metal, massive claw marks running down his armour and clear stains of blood and mud dot it's once polished surface. The rest of the pack backs away except for Acca, who walks alongside Ludo when he begins walking towards me. "What could we possibly have to talk about?"

"The Lizard." I state, pointing towards his armour. He stops in his tracks, I really need to be careful not to insult his pride. He stares at me for a moment, even though I can't see his eyes through the metal slits of his helmet that are covered with shadow I know he's staring at me with intense eyes.

"We call it the Monster." Acca adds, obviously noticing Ludo's silence. She takes a step forward, her pitch black trident kept pointed in my direction. I slowly move backwards so that my weapons are either side of me.

"Who would you work with us?" Ludo asks, I'm starting to think this plan wasn't the best idea I've ever had.

"My pack can't take down the Lizard." I reply honestly, if Ludo have trouble taking on the creature then I doubt Claire or Liz would have much of a chance. Neither of them were born fighters and to take on prey of this level I need warriors at heart and arm. Ludo laughs sharply.

"So because you're too weak to kill ht Monster, you've come to me?" Although I hate to admit it, and right now I'd prefer to be separating that head clean from it's shoulders. "Are you truly that desperate?"

"That doesn't matter right now." I reply coldly. "We need to kill it."

"Why?" Acca questions, taking a step forward. I position myself ready to grab my weapons and to perform a suicide charge at Ludo. "We have all the supplies we need here."

"If you had all the supplies you need then why do you leave?" I shoot back. She stops for a moment and tries to come up with an answer. "It's because you all have food," I point to the small campfire, "but you don't have water." I'm not even sure if this is true but I need to take some form of guess. All the Careers give each other looks and I know that my guess has paid off. Acca goes to take another step forward but Ludo lays his cold steel gauntlet on her shoulder. She freezes in place, then slowly turns to look and Ludo who is shaking his head ever so slightly. I'm not sure whether to take this as a good or bad sign, and by the looks of the rest of the Careers neither do they. Ludo walks up me and I instantly rearm myself with my sword and tomahawk.

"We'll work with you." He says loudly, the Careers all lower their weapons and sigh in relief. I feel the tension leave the atmosphere as I sheathe my weapons. Ludo beckons me over with a hand as the eight of us make our way to the fire and surround ourselves in it's warmth. Most the Careers are either shooting quick glances at me or Ludo, obviously they are all nervous, am I really that feared? Ludo steps over so that he is the opposite side of the fire to me. He crosses his arms and stares into the dancing flames, his two black swords glistening on either side of his hips. "Do you have a plan?" He asks me, not meeting my gaze.

"Not until I know the numbers." I reply, he looks up at me and I stop his eyes burrowing into me.

"I'll take Evandur, Shine and Specs." He commands, the two from District 1 look up at him. I can only assume Shine is the girl. I mean, if the parents named to boy Shine I wouldn't be surprised he volunteered just to end it all. Evandur, I had heard him mentioned before and I saw Spec's face get beaten my Ludo's gauntlet, I'm surprised his glasses are still intact. "The rest of you can keep guard, Acca, you're in charge in my absence."

"Of course." Acca replies with a small nod. Her obedience is questioning to me, why in a free for all would anyone be so willing to follow orders? Not when all these Tributes are fighting for themselves.

"What are we doing?" Specs asks with a raises eyebrow. He's a small boy, must be no older than fourteen. Ludo shoots him a sharp glance and immediately shys away. He glances to me and I shrug in reply.

"Do you have a plan, Ludo?" I ask with folded arms. Ludo stops and thinks for a moment, yet again staring into the fire that dances with grace in between us. I don't want to follow Ludo, but submitting to his judgement will keep his merciless temper in check.

"I know what we must do." Ludo mutters under his breath. We all turn out attention towards him as he looks up from the fire and stares straight at me, and what feels like my very soul.


	21. Chapter 21 - Prey

My foot gives way as the ground beneath my feet collapses. A strong and firm grip then proceeds to wrap itself around my arm and I look up to see Hasta keeping me pinned against the cliff face. I sigh and give him a thankful nod. Being pinned against a sheer drop it's the nicest of things, and if it wasn't for Hasta helping me keep my balance as we shuffle along the small outcrop that gives us a floor to stand upon. I look to my right where Liz, who is using her pick-axe as a handle, is struggling to fight against the raging winds that howl down the canyon.

"You don't want to fall down here." Hasta says with a cheeky smile. I raise eyebrow to him but he laughs it off and continues to shuffle along the small path. We continue like this for about ten minutes before the end of the narrow path branches into a far larger one that we could easily walk upon. I sigh in relief and begin speeding up slightly as I force myself to get to safety. An eagle glides down beneath us and I can't help but admire the creature as I dig my fingers further into the mud and rock. Hasta climbs over to the path, turns and extends his spear so that me and Liz can use it as leverage. We both land safely on the other side and I let out a long sigh of relief. Hasta starts laughing to himself as he falls onto the floor. Liz pants and rests her hand on her knees while we all try to get a grasp on what has just happened.

"Let's not do that again." I say laughing along with Hasta, Liz breaks into a smile and we all laugh together. At this moment I don't care that we're giving our position away, it is our job to be as loud as possible after all. After a few minutes we all manage to compose our selves and stand back up.

"We shouldn't have found that funny." Hasta wipes a tear away as he speaks. "Now, where to next?" He asks, mainly to himself I'm guessing. I walk to his side and look over the arena. We had climbed to one of the higher points. Hasta points to the Cornucopia with his spear. "He's up there right now."

"Do you think he's okay?" I ask, Hasta places his hand on my shoulder and I turn to face him.

"Of course." He reassures me with a small and sweet smile. "Have you heard the cannon?" I shake my head and I know he's right, but last time Seth was hurt the cannon didn't sound. From where we stand we can clearly see the Ruins, then five figures slide down the rope and into the Ruins, that must be Seth and the Careers, hunting so soon?

"There." I point to the figures, it takes Hasta a moment but when he spots them he gives a quick nod. Liz comes to my right and does the same. "We need to get the attention of the rest of the Careers."

"We could build a fire?" Hasta recommends, I shake my head, noticing the rope that connects the Cornucopia the this part of the arena is only about fifty metres ahead, and one of those machines is attached to it. We walk up to it and I take it in my hands to inspect it. This one is different, Capitol made, have they changed the arena to compensate for the careers invention? I take a quick look at Hasta who shakes his head.

"Why not?" I ask, why is it that they can throw themselves in the firing line for me but I can't do the same? Hasta grabs my wrist with a surprisingly firm grip but when I try to break free he continues to hold on.

"Me and Seth aren't letting you get hurt." He states firmly, I stare at him with rage filled eyes. I'm going up to that Cornucopia even if I have to cut his hand off. He continues to hold on but eventually his features soften and he lets go of my arm. The feeling returns back to my hand and I take the machine back into it. Hasta takes a small step backwards and gives me a small smile. "You be careful, when you get back down here we'll be waiting for an ambush."

"Good luck." Liz says under her breath, I smile at her, even though it was my arrow that killed Marcus she's still willing to offer me some support, could I have done the same if she killed Seth? I place my hand into the machine and grasp the handle inside for dear life. As I squeeze a clamp wraps itself around my wrist and I zip up the wire.

xxx

I reach the top so quickly that I barely have time to take in the surroundings. I managed to spot the Lizard slowly making it's way towards the Ruins but I know it's still quite far away and it'll be a few hours before Seth can reach it. I hit the pole on the Cornucopia and get thrown onto the floor with a thud. As I clear my head I notice that I'm at the back of the Cornucopia and I use this to my advantage. Lifting myself from the floor I draw my bow from over my back and get an arrow ready for flight. Hunched over as I walk, I silently move around so that I can see the three Tributes. Anona, who was the girl from District 11 as far as I can remember, sits with her back to me, whilst The girl from Districts 2 and 4 discuss something over the fire. The girl from 4 spots me and I let the arrow fly at her She leans backwards and it skims through her hair and into the ground behind. Suddenly three eyes are on me. Anona readies her scythe, but the girl from District 4 orders her to stay while she charges at me with a trident. The girl from District 2 follows behind with a set of throwing knives and I instantly regret my decision to fire at them. I sprint, placing my bow back over my torso as I run, and quickly place my hand back in the machine and slide down the rope. As I fall I take a quick look back and notice the two girls placing their own versions of the machines onto the wire.

I hit the ground and roll instantly. The other two are close behind me so I sprint into the treeline and find Hasta and Liz hiding behind two trees, I duck into the bushes and draw my bow ready to fire. The two girls lands on the floor nearly instantly after each other and both manage to dodge the arrow I fire in their direction. Hasta spins from around the tree and catches the girls trident with his spear. The two stop for a brief moment and stare at each other in disbelief. I'm pulled away from them by a knife which skims past my shoulder, drawing a small amount of blood as it slices through the top layer of my skin and the air around me. I spin around to avoid the next but before the Girl from 2 can throw another Liz's small pick-axe is coming at her as Liz brings if from across her chest. The Girl from 2 brings her arms together, blocks the attack, then stabs the knife straight down into Liz's arm as she screams and falls to the floor in a shriek of pain. Another knife comes at me and this one hits my cheek, but luckily goes on past me. I hear and cannon sound and when I look back up I see Liz's neck slit open as the blood pours from her like the waterfall at the Ruins. I scream her name in a fit of rage and pull back another arrow, before I can release it the girl is on top of me with a knife above her head and her knee in my diaphragm so I can't breathe. I brace for the worst, this is it I'm done, but suddenly her chest breaks open as a dark and familiar spear rips through her body. A cannon sounds and Hasta runs over and pulls his weapon from her.

Hasta spins around and stands between me and the Girl from his District. The two face each other with sorrow in their eyes.

"Acca." He says in a low and sympathetic voice. Acca, or at least that's who I'm assuming she is, jabs at him with the trident but he knocks it away with his spear. "Please."

"You know I can't do that, Hasta." She says, her attention turning to me as I lay on the floor panting. "Don't make me kill you, my dear." Did she just call him my dear? Is that why they stopped for a moment when they were fighting. "I don't want you and her to haunt me."

"Sorry, love." Hasta says, placing his foot back slightly so he's ready for the worst. I look up at him with eyes of envy, the man is willing to kill the girl he loves to protect me? "But you made you're choice, the Games or me." Well that makes far more sense now why they'd want to kill each other. "Sold yourself for a bit of fame."

"Or what?" She asks, dropping her stance and smacking her chest with both hands. I've seen boys do this in fights, hitting their chests then extending their arms but I've never seen a girl do it. "Me and you starving to death? Neither of us with a family to help us out!?"

"We could have at least tried." Hasta retorts, Acca rolls her eyes and re-assumes her defencive stance.

"You know I wanted this, you didn't but I did." She looks at him with eyes of hate, but I can tell there's still love for him in them. "You had to go all self-righteous and volunteer to save the rest of them didn't you?" He sighs and a single tear rolls down his cheek, but he quickly regains his composure and brings his shield a little closer to his chest.

"And I'd do it again." He replies coldly, sounding almost like Seth as he lunges his spear forward. Acca smacks the spear downwards with her trident and takes a lunge as well, it impacts into Hasta's shield and he throws her trident to the right, Acca holds firm as Hasta swings his spear like a club from the left and it crashes into her skull. The force knocks her off her feet and she flies to the right, but quickly stands back up despite the blood seeping from her ear, she's seriously wounded. She takes another lunge, this time Hasta swipes her trident with his shield and it flies from her arms, her expression changes to horror as Hasta thrusts forward and his spear cuts through her abdomen and out of her back. She stares him in the eyes as he lifts her off the floor and she slowly slides down the spear.

"I..." She manages to cough up through the blood pouring from her mouth asher body goes limp and her head falls. Hasta stabs the spear into the ground and lets her body slide onto the floor. The cannon sounds in the background and I know it's over. I stare up at him as he lets go of the spear and extends a hand to me. I take it and watch as the broken boy removes the spear from her and throws it off the edge and into the water below, electing to use the trident instead.

"Hasta?" I ask as he picks up the trident and stares at the it's three sharp barbed that rise from the end of the weapon.

"Come on." He look to me with eyes full of sorrow and despair. "I can't stay here anymore."


	22. Chapter 22 - Tensions Rising

I stand perfectly still, Ludo makes a strange sound as the cannon echoes through the arena. Three cannons? How many of them are for my pack? I snap out of the my mini nightmare and focus. The Careers I have with me are relying on me to find the Lizard, and I'm relying on the Lizard to kill the Careers.

"Who do you think..?" Specs asks, I turn to him and give a quick shrug but by the look on his face he's extremely worried. I carry on walking quickly and silently through the woods, even though I am silent I can hear the footsteps of the Careers behind me, and right now I'm glad that they'll be targeted first. Ludo calls everyone in and, reluctantly, I walk over to the small circle the Careers have formed.

"What happens when we find the Monster?" Ludo asks. He turns to Specs, who I'm assuming normally comes up with the plans.

"We could trap it." He recommends, as vague as his comment is he has a good point, my mind turns to lighter that I have kept in my pocket over the past few days and images of fire flick through my mind. I decide to not mention the lighter for now, maybe I can use it later.

"Make a fence of wood." I suggest, the Careers nod along, none of them realising that I plan to burn it down with them on it.

"Couldn't the Monster break through?" Shine asks with a small frown, Specs nods, realising the floor in my plan. Of course the Lizard could break through the creature is massive, but I need to trap the Careers with it. Ludo speaks up this time.

"There's a few fallen tree's that act as bridges, what if we lure it onto that and collapse it?" He asks, why didn't I think of that? Specs nods along with the suggestion.

"That could work, but we'd need something to break the tree." He replies.

"What if we trip it up?" I ask, this catches Spec's attention. "Use it's own weight against it."

"That could work." Specs replies sheepishly, looking back towards Ludo who is standing with him arms folded. Ludo nods along then turns to face me.

"Then that's what we are doing." Ludo replies firmly as he draws the two swords from around his waist. "Take point, Assassin" He orders, I remain in my silence and take the lead. The quieter I am the less likely Ludo will get pissed off and attempt to kill me.

* * *

I jog ahead of the Careers slightly, even in his armour Ludo is able to keep pace with my and I find it un-nerving that a man in a full suit of broken armour is able to catch up me when I'm not wearing any armour. We continue like this until we come across one of the fallen trees. I stop and peer over the edge, the fall is gigantic and falling into the rapid below would kill anyone, unless they were a very strong swimmer. I turn to find Ludo standing behind me, obviously thinking whether to push me or not.

"Long way down?" He asks with a slight tilt of his head. I nod in reply and he chuckles. "Good. Nothing will survive that fall." He mutters as he stands next to me and stares in the rapids below.

"How are we going to trip it?" Shine asks as she stands next to Ludo. Ludo pauses for a moment then laughs. He walks back from the edge and into a small clearing where he look into the air and spreads his arms, what is he doing?

"Any help?" He shouts into the air and a parachute falls from the sky. A parachute? Really? Hoe did he manage to get a parachute on the word go yet not be able to get water? Does water cost more later in the arena I wonder? Ludo laughs to himself and withdraws a rope identical in every way to that which connects the Cornucopia to the posts, that means it's strong and we can use it. Ludo tosses the rope to Specs, who inspects it with immense concentration as he runs it by his glasses and inspects the rope. He gives an approving nod and throws it back to Ludo. "Now we need to find a place to tie it..."

"Or use these." I reply, pulling out the machine that was clipped to my trousers. Specs smiles, obviously he admires my lateral thinking. Ludo nods in agreement.

"Then we need bait." The three Careers turn to me and I sigh, obviously I would be bait, why wouldn't I? But this does give me chance to devise and escape strategy. I nod in agreement and Specs gives me a confused look. Expecting an objection were you?

"I'll start now." I reply, walking over the ten metre long gap and into the wooden area ahead of us.

* * *

I walk in silence with my crossbow loaded and ready, every time a stick snaps or a leaf falls I ready myself for the worst. I continue like this for what seems like an eternity, but I know it's only been half an hour. Then I hear the distinctive crush of foliage as a pair of gigantic feet fall upon the floor. The sounds of heavy breathing and a low rumble seeps through the air around me and I know this is it. I lean against a tree and slowly make my way around it, as I look around I see the Lizard, in all it's pitch black glory, facing the tree with red eyes full of hate. This is my chance, I step from the tree and stand in front of it, the creatures rears up, spreads it's arms and roars violently. I take this as my que, firing a bolt into creatures scales and running as fast as my legs can carry me. The creature roars again but this time the sounds of stamping feet follow it and I know that I don't have long. I keep sprinting, zipping through the trees so that the Lizard has to force it's way through. I zip past a tree and a pair of claws scoops up my legs, I stumble through the air, hitting the dirt with a crash and smacking my head against a rock.

My vision blurs as I struggle to rise to my feet, this all feeling surprisingly familiar. I stumble through the bushes and spot the opening which leads to the fallen tree only fifty metres ahead of me, but the feeling of blood running down the side of my head isn't offering me much hope. The Lizard roars and pulls the tree down behind me and I break into a sprint, my head is pounding with pain and I know that I can't stop or I'll be crushed by a set of razor sharp teeth. I continue sprinting and I know that the Lizard is right behind me, I can feel it's breath on the back of my neck. As I break through the treeline and onto the fallen tree I hear a distinct sound of rope being tightened and the Lizard falling. It lands on the tree with a crash the rear side of the tree collapse, I draw my axe and sword and dig them into the tree as it swings down and crashes against the cliff-face. I allow myself only a moment to watch as the Lizard stumbles down the rocks, crashing and smashing itself to pieces as it falls into the rapid below. Then a shadowy figure looms over.

"So what now?" Ludo asks, staring down at me with his two sword in his hands. I groan as I struggle to hold my weight against the moss that grows on the fallen tree. Ludo is about five feet above me and I know I could climb up, if only he'd show this little bit of mercy. "Should I let you fall, Assassin?"

"Where's the honour in that?" I ask, he's one for the dramatic so maybe I can convince him to let me live so he can kill me later. Ludo chuckles.

"I would name you my Lionheart." Ludo bellows in his low voice as he spreads his arms and walk triumphantly in a small circle, slightly odd if you ask me. "It's a tradition in District 2 to have two Lionhearts, the Red and the Gold, the Red being your greatest enemy and the gold being your greatest ally."

"Then why let you're Red Lion fall in such a way?" I ask, swinging my tomahawk into the wood and forcing myself up using a small branch that barely manages to hold my weight. Ludo laughs again and points the sword in his right hand towards me.

"As long as I live, and you die, it doesn't matter how I win." Ludo says with a tone of superiority. Shine and Specs look over from the other side of the drop, Ludo gives them both a nod and they walk away, I'm assuming to get back to the Cornucopia. A cannon sounds in the distance and I can't help but feel that the next one is for me. I go to stab my sword into the wood but the tree gives way slightly and I end up hanging by one arm, struggling to uphold my strength. "You could have been my greatest ally."

"Never." I reply in spite, placing my sword on my back and grasping the axe with both hands as my muscles strain to move. Ludo kneels down down and I see his blue eyes drill into my mind, it reminds me slightly of President Snow's glare that he is infamous for giving.

"I know you're secret, Assassin." He whispers in a voice like a serpent. I tilt my head slightly to show my confusion and I see the hate building in his eyes. "We know what happened to your family." My body goes rigid and I stare back in a horror much worse than that I experienced when I nearly died. "Oh yes, my mentors found out and told me just before the arena, it wasn't hard to work out."

"Where is the fair fight you warriors crave so much, you bastard!?" I shout back with rage in my voice. I swing my axe again and dig my hand into the wood to use it as a grip. The wood splinters and digs itself into my fingers so far that I see the blood pour, but I mask the pain with the hate that pumps through my body like a virus. "Where's your honour you sick monster!" I scream at him.

"Honour is shared among warriors, not assassins." He says, pointing the blade so that it is mere inches in front of my face. "You are my crowning glory, Assassin."

"Burn me, drown me, stab me, do what you want Ludo, but I will end you!" I scream at him as he laughs at me but he expression changes when I grasp the sword with my left hand, I don't care if it stings as I feel the blade cut through my flesh, I pull my axe out of the wood, push off the branch with all my force and embed the axe into his shoulder, but the plate takes the impact. He stumbles and I pull him with me as the two of us fall into the air.

He screams as we fall but for me the world slows as we fall towards the rapid beneath. I fall for what seems like an eternity but when both me and Ludo crash through the surface of the water and the rapids throw us down the canyon I know that we're still in this and that death hasn't taken either of us. The bolts on my leg get carried away as the leather straps that held them to my thigh snaps away. We both crash into stones and plants that grow from the sides of the river banking and I struggle to keep myself a float. Ludo grabs my legs and drags me under as he uses me as leverage to get from the water. I kick his helmet and propel myself with break neck speed through the surface, spiralling through the air like one of the many fishes from back home. We crash into more stones and as we are thrown from a small waterfall and onto a strange wet floor that seems like dirt but isn't I struggle to rise back, there's only about twenty centimetres of water and the surface I'm lying on is solid. Ludo is then thrown from the waterfall and crashes next to me on his back. I try to stand but fail and also land on my back. The two of us lay next to each other, staring into the sky as a cold embrace takes both of us from the conscious world.


	23. Chapter 23 - Waiting On A Miracle

Me and Hasta continue walking until nightfall, neither of us willing to speak after the horrors that had just happened in front of us a few hours before. As we reach the place where we first met, days ago when the Games began, me and Hasta stare off into the distance. The full moon lights up the arena in a silver glow that is truly an amazing marvel. The anthem sounds and we both look into the sky. The girl from District 2's face fills the air first, it's amazing how sweet she looks in this picture yet the image that flashes through my mind is of her snarling with a knife in her hand. Next is Acca and a chill runs through my spine as I stare into her proud eyes. I give a quick glance to Hasta who is just staring into the sky, firmly gripping the trident that she had once owned. Then the third cannon of the day lights the sky and I sigh in relief as the face of the boy from District 10 appears in the sky. Surely it's horrific that I was relived on the death of a boy, but I'm just glad that it wasn't Seth.

Me and Hasta spends the next few minutes in our own heads, thinking of whatever, by the expression he was pulling I'm assuming it was Acca who he was thinking of. Is he regretting his decision? The thought makes me want to try and communicate with him, but from my experiences with Seth I know better than to rush things.

"Do you want me to try and get some food?" I ask, it's a weak conversation attempt but when he nods I smile happily to myself. We both walk back slightly so that we are rested under a triangle of three trees. He sits himself down and rests the trident over his lap. "Just stay here, I'll be back soon." I instruct, but he makes no motion to show that he's bothered to listen to me.

I draw my bow and get an arrow ready. I haven't hunted in the night before and I'm assuming it's going to be harder to find prey when the darkness is against you, thank god for the full moon providing a small amount of light. I move extremely slow and quieter than ever to try and avoid the predators that might be lurking through the night, or to scare away the prey. I understand why Seth enjoys hunting, time alone is something that is hard to come by in a pack, but hunting alone in the dark? I'll be honest, I don't enjoy this one bit. I continue to move silently through the night for about fifteen minutes before I give up and head back to where Hasta is waiting. Upon my arrival he looks up at me.

"I found a small stream." He says in a low and hollow voice. He hands me a small bottle and I accept it gratefully. I take a quick sip and allow the liquid to flow down my throat. It's been a while since I have drank and I could feel the effects of dehydration beginning to sink in. I sit opposite of Hasta and smile, but he ignores it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" i ask in a soothing tone, he chuckles to himself and shakes his head back and forth. His silence is deafening and I need to get him to speak, I think I might go mad if he doesn't. "Tell me about her."

"Why?" He snaps back in a tone of aggression I had never heard from him before. His reply catches me off guard and I am taken back slightly as he rests his head in his hand. "I'm sorry, bit on edge."

"It's fine." I reply softy as he exhales deeply. Finally he caves in, lifting his head from his hand he looks me straight in the eye,

"You know that boy... What's his name? Callum!" He says looking at me, my muscles instantly tighten when Hasta mentions his name but I try to hide the feeling of anxiety that sweeps across me but I doubt it worked. "Well, we had a relationship a bit like yours."

"What happened?" I ask, he frowns at me in return. "If it's not too much to ask."

"She wanted fame, and I wanted peace." Hasta replies, staring through me rather than at me. "Then when a fourteen year old boy got reaped, I couldn't help but take his place."

"I though District 4 was a Career District?" I ask in slight confusion. Hasta laughs to himself for a moment, leaning back against the tree he sits under. "What's so funny?"

"Not all of us want to be Careers, Acca was the only real Career this year." He replies, looking through me again and smiling as his mind floods with memories. "There are a lot of Tributes who volunteer for the fame though."

"Don't you have an academy?" I ask with a small frown, Hasta nods slowly.

"Yeah, we didn't have that many when I joined." I slap his hand and rock backwards.

"Bollocks!" I say in good will. He laughs along with me, good, I need to take his mind away from the sadness.

"I was in the academy, bottom of my class in everything." He admits, I shake my head back and for.

"First jellyfish and now you being the worst in class?" I ask with a raises eyebrow. "You need to stop lying to me." I say jokingly.

"No, it's true I swear." He replies with a small smile. "The spear was the only thing I was good at."

"Bloody good I'd like to add." I give Hasta a sly wink and he tries to hide his smile, but it doesn't work at all.

"When I made up my mind to volunteer was the only time I really started training." I give him a confused look, didn't he volunteer because of the boy? "I had thoughts to volunteer months before, around about your mentors Victory Tour, so I had been training for about six months."

"I had trained for about... Three days?" I say as I ponder on all the time I had spent training alongside Seth. When I get back to District 7 I'll have to tell Callum what Seth was really like in the training centre, and that I wouldn't have made it past the bloodbath without him or Hasta.

"You learn quick."

"I had good teachers." I reply with a small smile. Hasta smiles back and the conversation falls silent as Hasta fades into a slumber. I smile as I watch his body go limp and his chest slowly rise and fall.

Resting my bag on the floor and my head on top I look up into the sky and try to connect pictures in the stars. My imagination doesn't work with me at this point and I fail to create any images more spectacular than a saucepan. It doesn't take long before a wave of exhaustion shrouds me and I descend into the night.

* * *

_I walk slowly through the woods, small song bird fly under my arms as I extends them to run my fingers through the leaves. I lightly step on the moss that covers the ground, desperately trying not to damage the beautiful flowers that sprout from the ground. Up ahead I spot a large silhouette and I instantly know who's form that is. He turns to face me._

_"Hello Sunshine."Callum says with a small smile. I take his hands in mine and press my lips lightly against his. "You'll be home soon, understand?"_

_"And you won't hate me?" I ask with tears building in my eyes. Callum gently shakes his head back and forth as he rests his forehead against mine._

_"Seth will get you home." He whispers. The behind Callum Seth's figure appears, blood on his weapons and he stands tall and proud. Hasta appears from behing him and the two stand watching us, both laughing happily as Callum places another kiss on my lips. Callum releases me and walks backwards to Seth and Hasta, I reach for him but my feet are pinned to the ground._

_"We'll get you home." They all say in unison, turning away and walking into the forest. I smile for a moment and sit down, allowing the birds to rest on my arm and sing into my ear. I look back up and find Seth looming over me, he kneels in front of me with his sword over his lap._

_"I'm so sorry you had to do this for me." I say with a whimper, he takes my chin his the fingers on his right hand and lifts the mask over his nose with the other. Am I dreaming about loving Seth? He smiles sweetly, even with the burnt skin it makes me feel a lot better, then plants a kiss on my forehead._

_"Make them pay for it." He says, his expression turning serious. Around him the trees change to buildings and he stands, withdrawing his axe and sword. He stands over my, weapons lowered to his side, the then turns and faces the city, which I recognise as the Capitol. I scream at him as he charges into the city and fire engulfs him. I do nothing but stare into the dancing flames for a moment, but then they turn their attention to me, and as a hand of fire extends from the wall of heat I-_

* * *

-Wake up in a pool of sweat. Hasta is still asleep and it's nearly morning, still no sign of Seth? I pant heavily as I struggle to compose myself. Holding back the tears I struggle to focus but finally my shell gives way and I curl myself into a ball and sob quietly, trying desperately to remain quiet so Hasta won't hear me. I struggle to remain strong and the more I fight the pain that rises through my chest the worse I feel. A strong pair of arms wrap themselves around me, I look up and find Hasta has woken up and is gently rocking back and forth. I cry into his shoulder, longing for the pain to end, and whispering those fatal words.

_"Make them pay for it."_

**A/N: Short chapter I know, but the next chapter is far longer don't worry :)**


	24. Chapter 24 - Love Thy Enemy

I cough up a hand full of water and roll onto my stomach, my face splashes into the water as I struggle to find my footing. I lift my mask above my nose and gag on something but I'm not sure what, nothing comes up but instead my body crushes itself as it struggles to fix whatever problem has hit me this time. I shake my head and spot the Lizard laying a few metres to my right, I go to scream but instead I stop and inspect it's larger red eyes, staring into the sky with no signs of life. Even though I should feel glad the creature is dead I can't help but feel pity, a mutual respect between two hunters is a common feeling, and you don't have to be human to experience it. I look to my left and find Ludo struggling to stand as he lifts himself from the floor with his two swords. Our eyes lock as we both struggle to maintain out balance. I look over to the water fall we had been thrown out of, it was only about ten feet high but it's about fifty metres away, meaning we must have been travelling bloody quickly to get thrown this far into the shin deep water.

I draw my tomahawk and sword and struggle to stumble towards Ludo, who is doing the same. I slowly swing my sword form the right, he clumsily dodges it and thrusts weakly with both swords, I hit them away with my tomahawk and the two of us stop and collapse onto our knees.

"We can't do this." I struggle to tell him. I turn my head to Ludo and see him nodding along with my slurred words.

"Agreed." He retorts, we both turn our attention to the cliff-face ahead of us. I don't think any Tributes were meant to come here. The lowest of the cliff-faces is half the size of the Cornucopia and clearly has trees growing from the side, to stop Tributes from climbing over and falling to their deaths I'm assuming. Ludo turns to me and I look back at him.

"We need to work together." I advise, he reluctantly nods along.

"Again, I agree, Assassin." He replies, panting and struggling to find his feet. "Or should I call you Lionheart?" I roll my eyes, even though he can't see them from behind my glasses, I'm amazed how they've survived so long and stayed on my face through the whole fall, maybe there's something connecting them to the mask? "We're going to have to climb that."

"Aye, that we are." I repeat and look up at the massive cliff-face. I honestly don't know if we'll be able to pull it off, but we need to do something. I chuckle to myself. "Can your sponsors help us out?"

"Let's see." Ludo extends his arms and waits impatiently. After a few minutes of nothing we both give up waiting for help and decide to find out own way out. "Keep up, Assassin." Ludo mocks as he begins making his way towards the cliff-face. I follow in his footsteps, keeping both my eyes constantly on him and fearing the worst.

We limp and hobble to the cliff face and inspect each hand and foot hole I can find. The two of us stand side by side, either one waiting for the other to place the weapon away first. We both shoot each other quick and untrusting glances, until finally Ludo submits and places his weapon back around his waist. I nod and return the favour by sheathing my tomahawk and sword. I give a small nod for him to go first.

"Oh no, I insist." He replies, swinging his hands in a pendulum motion to allow me up first.

"No you." I reply, mimicking his actions.

"No you." He replies.

"No you." I reply back.

"No. You." He insists, placing a hand over his sword.

"No. You." I snap back. The two of us square off for a moment. "This isn't working."

"Fuck it, I'll go up." Ludo throws his arms into the air and begins climbing. Mumbling something I can't quite understand under his breath. I follow him by climbing a few metres to his right, struggling to find a hand grip, I go to reach for the bolts on my legs but the memories of the quiver being ripped off flood my mind and I curse to myself. "Having trouble, Assassin?" Ludo calls over to me.

"I'm fine." I snap back and rush to climb a little ahead of him.

* * *

We climb for another half an hour before we finally reach an outcrop about halfway up the side of the cliff-face. Through a act of manner, I extends a hand to Ludo, who surprisingly takes it and I hoist him to sit next to me. The sun has risen quite high now and it must be about ten o'clock.

"The Capitol should be getting up now." Ludo says, taking his helmet off and resting it upon his knee. I'm amazed at how strong he is, I'm struggling to pull myself up the side of this cliff-face yet he is doing it in a suit of armour, but of course I keep this to myself. "They'll enjoy watching us climbing this."

"Oh joy." I reply sarcastically. My disdain for the Capitol bastards isn't well hidden here, but if I'm going to die in the arena then why should I care? We stare at the rising sun for a few moments then I ask the question that's been plaguing my mind. "What's a Lionheart?"

"Lionheart?" Ludo asks with a tone of superiority that makes me want to push him off the rock that he's sitting on, but judging from the harshness of the rock above I can see we need each other. "It's a title us warriors give our greatest enemies and allies. Every leader in District 2 needs a story of heroism to tell."

"What was your fathers?" I ask, biting my tongue afterwards, I don't want to start seeing Ludo as human if I'm going to have to kill him. To me, Ludo is nothing more than prey. He glares at me and I can tell I'm not going to be getting that information from him, and to be honest I'm glad of it.

"Don't mention my father, or I'll mention yours." Ludo snaps at me. I go to draw my axe, but with shaky hands I manage to control my nerves and regain my composure. "I know everything that happened that night."

"Let's not talk about it." I snap back in my normal cold tone, which I have been using less and less as the Games have gone on. Ludo chuckles and we both sit for a moment, staring at the water below. Suddenly the sands starts to rise and me and Ludo stare in confusion at the many large mounds forming.

"What the..?" Ludo says, mainly to himself. I do a quick count, twelve mounds, twelve districts maybe? Suddenly my heart skins as I watch twelve large black reptiles slide from the sand and shake off the sand. Twelve Lizards. The twelve roar to each other and begin roaring and screaming loudly, each one ignites a mane of fire down it's spine and arms as it bellows into the sky. I stare into the dancing flames as images of that night dart across my vision.

The twelve Lizards growl and hum to each other. Whilst me and Ludo remain motionless, neither of us willing to give our position away in case these creatures are exceedingly good at climbing. Instead they do something we didn't expect, the twelve of them run into the waterfall, climb up it and then swim upriver into the arena.

"We should have tried swimming." Ludo states, nodding his head slowly.

"We're not strong enough." I add as we watch the last Lizard slither into the water below. I sigh, looking up at the outcrop above us, with twelve Lizards in the arena I need to get back to my pack as soon as possible. Ludo looks up as well, giving me a concerned look as if reading me mind. Then a parachute descends from the sky and lands on Ludo's lap. He opens it and a piece of rope identical to the one we had used to kill the first Lizard.

"We're tying ourselves together." He orders, wrapping the rope around his waist. I don't object, we're going to need to put our differences aside if we don't want to return back to our districts shaped like tree-stumps. He hands me my half and I wrap it around my waist, giving it a strong tug to test the strength of the fibre. Ludo stands, and begins climbing. "I'm leading, you are following, Assassin."

"Lead on." I reply in spite and give a small over exaggerated bow. Ludo glares at me through his helmet and continues climbing, leaving me smiling to myself as I watch him scale the cliff-face. I tuck in behind him and watch his every movement, expecting him to cut the rope and let me drop.

* * *

The climb proves extremely difficult, with both me and Ludo having to force each others limbs to bend into positions so that we can reach hand and foot holes. Our silence is louder than any words we could speak to each other. We work in a sort of unison, more of a rhythm, he moves, then I move, then he moves and so on so forth. Both of us fall at least once and, reluctantly, the other catches the falling. As much as I hate saving his life, I need him in case I fall as well.

It takes what seems like an eternity before we both finally stand on top of the cliff-face and behind the tree line. The capitol seemed kind enough to leave an easy route to climb up the trees. I untie myself from Ludo and stare at him.

"You're thinking, what happens now?" He asks removing his helmet and turning to face me. I rest my right hand on my sword that rests upon my back and prepare for what lies ahead. We stare at each other for a moment and I take my hand back off my weapon.

"We got our separate ways." I instruct, the tree part ways and we step back into the arena. Obviously the Capitol want us back in the fight rather than trapped outside it. The trees slide shut behind us and we both turn to face each other. Ludo rolls his eyes.

"The Capitol want us to show each other a warrior's respect." He says, spitting at my feet then placing his helmet over his head. "But you are not a warrior to me."

"I'll never be a warrior." I reply coldly, walking past him and smacking my shoulder into his with such force that I feel an ache from the broken metal that he wears. I don't look back as I walk into the treeline and further into the woods.

* * *

The walk is long, and the unbearable silence of the Lizards concerns me greatly. The last Lizard was easy to track, loud and often gave his positions away, but these are silent. Even with the ability to sprout fire from them they still seem untraceable. I walk alongside the cliff-faces, constantly staring into the water below to find any sign of the Lizards, which I can only assume have gone into hiding. I walk until sundown, where I hear something that catches me off guard. A boy sits with his feet dangling over the cliff, unknown to him that I am standing on ten yards behind. He leans backwards so that he's lying on his back, it takes him a second to recognise my shadowy figure amongst the shadows of the trees.

"God damn." He curses, letting out a long sigh as his eyes focus in on the sword and tomahawk in my hands. "Make it quick."

"You won't fight?" I ask with a confused tone as I step from the brushes and into the sunset's light. The boy shrugs, I recognise him, I'm sure he's from District 6. I'll just call him Six.

"No point, I'm not the most well built."He shows me his arms, thin as a bone, I've seen people like this in District 7. The truly starved people who haven't been able to get a permit for a weapon to hunt some game, even though keeping the meat is illegal there's a few of us who are able to get a favour with the Peace-keepers. "But, I do have information."

"Information?" I ask, knowing is half the battle, it's the same with hunting. No matter how good you are with a crossbow if you don't understand you're prey it will escape every time. Six nods, sitting back up and turning so that he faces me. I place my weapons back in their sheathes and kneel in front of him.

"The Careers came to see me a few times, looking for you." Six says with a satisfied grin spreading across his face. "Beside, I thought you and Prince fell into the water?"

"How do you know?" I ask a bit too defensively, Six might prove useful to me just as I expected Marcus and Liz to be, that was until Marcus turned on us. I wonder how Liz is fairing after hearing about her partner's death?

"I have my ways." He replies, tapping his nose whilst smiling. "Do you know who died yesterday?" I shake my had back and forth gently. "The girl's from Districts 2, 5 and 12."

"Liz is dead?" I ask with a lump building in my throat, I knew she wasn't going to make it out of this arena but I didn't expect her to die so soon. I say a few words to myself, hoping that the people of District 12 hear me apologise for another failure. "What happened?"

"The Careers went after you're pack, they had a fight, those are the casualties." Six replies, withdrawing a bottle from his pocket and taking a sip, he offers me some and I accept gratefully. "The girl from District 1 has taken in the boys from 9 and 11."

"That brings them to... Seven if I recall?" I ask, Six nods in reply. Seven Tributes working together just to kill me, this is going to prove extremely difficult. "Why are you helping me?"

"Honestly?" Six takes another sip of his water. "I want you all to kill each other, and I'll just... Outlast you."

"You've survived this long without a weapon." I comment.

"Yes I have, Assassin." Even people outside of the Career pack know me as the Assassin. Six grins slightly, as if he's discovered a crack in my armour. "Don't like the title?"

"It works." I reply, I don't want this Tribute getting any foothold over me.

"Of course it works, Caesar is a master with words." He replies, and then again so is Six. Most Tributes I would kill, not because I want to but because I had to, but his cool exterior managed to get my attention so strongly that I couldn't kill him. "It's rather impressive if you ask me, unlike you, he is a true word smith."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate the compliment." Six frowns slightly.

"For somehow who grew up without a family you are surprisingly well educated. Most from District 7 are not as fortunate to have your varied vocabulary." His choice of words catches me off guard, I understand everything that he says but I've never heard a person from the Districts speak so well. "Where did you learn to speak so well?"

"I should ask you the same." I retort, avoiding my past all together, but he's managing to rip my defencive wall apart quicker than Claire has with all her comfort.

"I looted the cargo crates that came through my District." He says to me, remember his good times and laughing as the memories flood his mind. "Most of which were plans, books, holograms, anything that could educate me." He smiles to himself. "Including plans for the arena."

"You knew what was going to happen?" I ask in confusion. Six nods proudly, if not a little too proud, but after pulling a feat like that off I can understand his arrogance.

"I knew of the reptiles, based off an ancient reptile known as the Baryonx, but I didn't know they could set themselves on fire." I go to speak but he shushes me. "Yes, I've seen these reptiles wandering around the arena like a pack of hungry hounds, but they aren't the biggest concern of mine."

"They should be." I retort, Six laughs and leans forward, inspecting me with deep brown eyes.

"You should speak more, I so rarely have chance for conversation." My head begins to nod slowly and Six raises an eyebrow. "Tired?"

"Very." I reply. He moves closes to me and pats my shoulder.

"How about you sleep and I'll keep watch?"

"Why would I trust you?" I snap back, he laughs my aggression off.

"I need you to kill the Careers, I can't do that so I need you." I struggle to stay awake as my body forces me to lay on the floor. Six smiles at me, I don't know why I'm letting my guard down like this. "I promise not to hurt you." And with that I fade into a deep sleep that I never want to awaken from.


	25. Chapter 25 - Crumbling Down

Me and Hasta both sit, facing each other as the sun rises slowly.

"Do you think he's okay?" I ask with a frown. Hasta nods slowly, neither us wanting to accept the idea that Seth might have died.

"His picture hasn't been in the sky yet." Hasta replies with a small smile, even though the words yet has just filled me with further worry. I struggle to find anything to speak about, we spent most of yesterday taking it in turn to sleep and looking for resources. With our combined method we managed to kill a deer and feed off it for most of our waking moments yesterday. At long last I pipe up the courage to ask: "Maybe we can go looking for Seth."

"We could." Hasta replies, lifting the shield from over his head so I can see his face. "But what happens if Seth comes here and we're gone?"

"We'll come back every night." I reply quickly, this blind hope that I have suddenly found will die soon if Hasta doesn't get off his arse. He ponders for a moment, weighing up the risks. After a few minutes he stands up, I can't help but feel a hint of excitement hit me as I jump to my feet with my bow in hand, ready to go tracking. Hasta slows me down, as he reluctantly picks up Acca's... Sorry... His trident.

"Where do you want to start?" He asks with a small smile. I thank him several times over and give him several kisses on his cheeks, I hope Callum doesn't get jealous by all this.

"How about we head back the way we came?" I ask sheepishly. I'm not at all sure where to start, and I also don't know how to track so this isn't going to end well. Hasta gives a confirming nod but as we begin walking we both hear that roar, so distinctive. I shoot Hasta a worried glance and I can tell by his face that he is just as worried as I am. "Please reassure me."

"He may not have killed, but he-" Hasta is cut off by several more roars that echo throughout the arena with such a powerful sounds the the shivers roll down my spine, striking every nerve like a hammer on a nail.

"That's not one roar." I know that I'm pointing out the obvious, but right now it's all that's running through my mind. I hear a high pitch scream and suddenly a massive crash. Me and Hasta both run to the edge where we see one of the many Lizards that swim in the water below climbing up the side of the cliff-face of the Cornucopia. A girl climbs up the cliff-face, struggling to find places to grip as the Lizard follows her, digging it's massive hooked claws into the rocks and making it own grips. She draws a knife and throws it at the Lizard, it bounces off and the Lizard grows back. It opens it's mouth and roar loudly, I stare in both awe and fear as the creatures back and limbs burst into flames as it lunges, clearly taking off and propelling itself into the air. The last thing I hear of the girl, who I recognise as the girl from District 9, is a scream and the sound of crushing bones as the Lizards mouth wraps around her and she disappears into the creatures stomach. The Lizards kicks and twists in mid air, Hasta compared to something called a shark eating a creature called a seal, god knows what they are. It the falls back down into the rapids below, cleanly avoiding the cliff-face and swimming away at high speed. A cannon sounds in the background and I stare at Hasta in disbelief.

"When were there more than one?" Hasta asks me in sheer confusion. I struggle to find words and my mouth moves endlessly but I speak no words. Hasta places his hands on my shoulders and look me dead in the eyes. "We need to go, now."

"I'm right behind you." I assure him as he picks his weapon and shield back up and we both start jogging along the treeline and into the woods. Neither of us willing to look back as we hear the Lizards rumble and growl.

* * *

The two of us wander for an hour before we come across a Tribute. He stands defiantly in our path and when I raise my bow to him he shrugs, this catches me off guard and I stare at him in confusion.

"Must you woodsman all be easily bamboozled by my performance?" He asks with a raises eyebrow. Hasta runs up beside me, covering behind his shield, but it is clearly obvious that this Tribute doesn't have a weapon. "You are looking for the Assassin?"

"Yes!" I shout, I couldn't help myself and I instantly cover my mouth after shouting it. The Tribute laughs and beckons for us to follow. Me and Hasta shoot each other a worried glance but decide to follow, neither of us willing to follow him even though this may be the key to finding Seth. "How do you know Seth?"

"Oh?" The Boy spins for a moment, his creepily thin arms placed over his heart to show his honesty. "I did nothing more than rescue him from the clutches of oblivion."

"And why would you want that?" Hasta retorts, I can see his knuckles whiten as he grips his trident with more force. The Boy laughs for a moment, extend his right arm and pointing at it.

"My powers are far more suited to the mental variety, my physical traits to not vary much beyond being able to walk." He gives what seems like a small bow along with that strange smile that he wears across his face like a mask. "So I'm inclined to allow the lions to fight whilst the vultures wait for the spoils."

"Very clever." I say mildly, I have to give this boy credit he knows what he's doing. He takes a moment to bow again with a large smile across his face, but i can see Hasta doesn't enjoy his stuck-up nature. "Now where is Seth?" I demand in an authoritative voice.

"This way, my friends." The Boy points ahead of him as me and Hasta reluctantly follow.

* * *

We both follow behind him, each a few metres back, but when he leads us through a treeline and I see that familiar silhouette sleeping against a tree I can't help but feel the tears begin to slip over my eyes. The Tribute shushes us with his finger, and beckons us over again. The tears roll down my face as I lean in front of a sleeping Seth. I shoot Hasta a quick smile and he smiles back, both of us transfixed by how peaceful he looks. Seth shuffles in his sleep and when his head comes forward I know he's awake. I wrap my arms around him and for a moment I get no reaction, but when I feel his strong arms around me I know he's awake.

"Thank god you're okay." I whisper into his ear. I go to turn to thank the mystery Tribute but when I turn I find that he's no where to be seen. Seth lifts himself to his feet.

"We have more Lizards." He instructs to me, I frown at him and the tears away.

"Is that it?" I ask in a frustrated tone, he tilts his head slightly at me. "No how are you?"

"It's not important." Seth replies, whatever has happened to him while he was away has seemed to put that wall back up between us. "There's twelve of them, and they have the ability to set themselves on fire."

"We know, Seth." Hasta adds with a small smile, he seems disappointed as well that Seth is acting all business and not showing any sign of a personality. "What happened to you?" He falls silent for a moment.

"Where's Six?" He asks in confusion. I frown and give Hasta a quick glance who is just as confused by his withdrawal as I am.

"The boy?" I ask in my sweetest tone, trying not to snap at Seth for being an utter arsehole. He hasn't even asked about Liz yet! Seth nods and I shrug in reply. "He just disappeared."

"I need to find him." Seth says, pushing past me and inspecting the ground below. His clothes are even dirtier than before and I can clearly see bruises forming on his arms from whee something has hit him. His quiver is also missing from around his leg. Seth runs his fingers gently on the ground and inspects the plants around him. I grab his shoulder and spin him around with such force that he nearly stumbles.

"What's going on, Seth!" I finally shout, nearly screaming at him as his head drops to his feet. He sighs for a moment.

"Come on, you can tell us." Hasta adds. Seth remains silent. "Do you know about Liz?" Hasta asks and Seth nods in reply.

"So you know about the Careers?" I ask, Hasta swallows what emotions he's trying to hide. Seth nods yet again, quickly looking up at Hasta then back down to his feet. "What happened Seth?"

"Nothing." He snaps back, and begins walking away. Me and Hasta follow behind, he's walking surprisingly quick and the speed we're moving at is hurting my calves. I call his name a few times but he carries on walking. Finally Hasta snaps, smacking his on the shoulder with his trident, as if on instinct Seth grabs the trident, rips it from Hasta's hands and slams it into the ground. He turns and draws his sword with such speed that it seems like something from a dream.

"What happened, Seth!?" Hasta stands defiantly as Seth rests the end of the blade gently on Hasta's neck. For a moment the two remain is silence before Seth drops his sword and falls to his knees, giving a quiet sob. I stand in disbelief for a moment, I look to Hasta who just shrugs in utter confusion. I know I was chipping away at Seth's defences but did they just completely crumble? I walk over to him and wrap my arms over his shoulders and around his neck.

"What happened Seth?" I ask in a quiet whisper, it seems every time Seth goes off on his own he comes back messed up. Seth takes his trident from the ground and kneels next to Seth.

"He knows... He knows... He knows... They know... They know." He mutters to himself as he rocks slowly back and forth.

"Who knows what?" I ask him. Using all my effort to try and force him to stare into my eyes.

"Ludo knows what happen that day." He whispers to me, I feel my heart sink as he tells me. Seth has told no one of what happened that day, and even the investigators sent to inspect the accident had only theories about what happened. I muster up all my courage and finally ask him.

"Seth..." I start in a soothing voice, his body goes tense and I know he can tell what my next words are. "What happened that day?" I ask.

"What happened?" Seth snaps back, then the unthinkable happens. He brings his glove covered hand to the bottom of his mask and completely removes it from his head, allowing his sunglasses to fly behind him. I gasp, trying not to hide my surprise as I inspect what's left of him. All of his skin is red or yellow, it resembles worms crawling over a carcass and I can't help but feel mildly disgusted at how horrific his scars really are. All that is left of the Seth I knew as a young girl is in his deep emerald eyes. "This happened to me, Claire."


	26. Chapter 26 - When Forests Burn

Both Hasta and Claire stare at me with wide eyes as I struggle to compose myself. Ludo knows everything. Only when I woke up did it hit me. Ludo knows everything. Six can help me. I need Six. He can find anything out. Claire lightly taps my cheek and I pull my face away, I haven't had another human touch my face in so long it feel alien.

"What happened, Seth?" She repeats, only a few moments ago I Had snapped at her and now I'm forced to pay the price for my lack of foresight. I decide the best way to tell them is to just remember it, like I did with the memory of my Father and me in the river I spent so much of my spare time in. I take a deep breath in and begin my story:

* * *

_I smile up at my Father and he smiles back to me as we inspect the fence that runs around the perimeter of the District. A peace-keeper walks over to us and stands with his arms folded across his chest._

_"What do you think caused it?" The man in white armour asks, my Father leans down, inspecting the fence with narrowed eyes, he prods it with his crossbow a few times, as if to test the strength._

_"From first look I'd say dogs, but these claw marks are too large." He says looking down at the long grooves in the mud and through the mesh fence. How could something have ripped through electrified metal so easy? "Isabelle!" My Father calls, and my Mother walks from behind a tree, her long flowing black hair gently blowing in the wind._

_"Everything okay, my dear?" She asks with a small smile. My Father points to the tracks and I see my Mother's face turn serious, she places the bow she carries onto her back._

_"I thought it was only a pack of wolves." She says, running her fingers down the track just like my Father did. It's been less than a year since I lost my oldest brother to the Games and this is how my parents have been taking their grief away, trying to make the District safer. I'm normally brought along so that I can be shown the ropes, take over the business when I'm older. The Peace-keeper kneels alongside me._

_"Any ideas?" He asks me, lifting his mask so that I can see a small smile. I shrug my shoulders._

_"Lots of wolves?" I ask, he smiles, patting my head and standing back up._

_"Lots of big wolves." My Father replies, tickling at my stomach so much that I fall onto the floor in a giggling heap. A few of the other residents of District 7 who work with my Father come from all around. There's a team of about twenty of them, each carrying some form of bow or primitive weapon, and they're guards which consists of five peace-keepers._

_"We may have found something." A man pipes up from behind us, tall and strong, I remember when he used to work with my Father before my brother's death. "We just don't think it's anything natural."_

_"Is it a mutt?" My Mother asks, helping my Father to his feet as he struggles to think of what mutts could do so much damage. The man nods in reply._

_"We saw one of them, looked like a bear but it walked like a human." He says, my over active imagination fills my mind with huge and horrific images of this monster that stalks through the woods. My Father nods along with the information._

_"Any sign of more of them?" He asks, the man shakes his head. _

_"Tracks show there's more than one, but we have-" Suddenly a blood curgling roar fills the forest. I frown to my Father, but he and all the rest merely raise their weapons and prepare for the worst. Suddenly another roar, this time from outside of the forest, then another from the other side of the fence. I look up to my Mother, she stands in front of me with her bow drawn and ready. I can't help but look in awe at my parents who stand ready for whatever comes around the corner. Suddenly one of the beasts launches itself through the metal fence, breaking straight through, my Father launches a bolt into the creature but it roars it off. Suddenly I hear a gunshot and the peace-keeper that stood next to me has fired a round into the creatures eye with such precision it's frightening._

_"Form a perimeter!" He screams as the twenty five people somehow manage to get into a rather large defendable circle. Suddenly swarms of these beats come charging through. Most of the residents get killed off rather quickly and I struggling to keep track of my parents as our numbers dwindle to ten in mere minutes. Five Residents and five peace-keepers are all that's left. I hear a familiar scream and as I turn i watch a beasts jaws wrap around my Mother's collar bone and squeeze, crushing the life out of her. My Dad screams, kills the beast then picks me up._

_"We need to go!" He screams to the peace-keepers and the last residents. They all begin running and my Father gives me a small knife in case the worst should happen. As we sprint with the beast on our tail I hear a gunshot sound and a body fall. I turn my head to see one of the peace-keepers has killed a resident. My Father instantly objects."What did you do that for!?"He screams as the remaining residents turn their weapons on the peace-keepers._

_"They'll focus on eating him." The peace-keeper says. My Father goes to object but the peace-keeper points his rifle at him. "You say anything about this and you're next."_

_"This is wrong." My Father objects, slapping the rifle away. The peace-keeper brings it back to his stomach fire a single shot. I scream as the blood pours from my Father's mouth and he collapses onto the floor. The peace-keepers all fire at the remaining residents who had went to make their move, all except one peace-keeper, who stand between me and the others. He takes me in his arms as the tears role down my face and into his armour._

_"We can't kill the boy." He objects, this was the peace-keeper I had spoken to earlier, the only peace-keeper to ever show me any sign of him being human. The other peace-keeper snatches me from his arms and points the gun to my head. I act on instinct and stab him in the neck with the blade my Father gave me. The peace-keeper falls to the floor, dropping me in the process. The other peace-keepers go to arrest me but before they can several of the beast lunge from the bushes. I hear the crack of metal and bones as the peace-keeper who had been defending me picks me up, turns on his heels and begins sprinting away._

_He continues sprinting until we reach a river, there are few in District 7 but all that are in the District are large and powerful. He drops me onto the floor and collapses to his knees, trying desperately for breath. He hears the beasts, turns and throws a red grenade. It erupts in the trees, setting them a blaze. The beasts roar but i know that some of them are suffering the wrath of the inferno._

_"Jump in the water." He orders me. I shake my head as I wrap my arms around him and squeeze tightly. At the moment this peace-keeper feels like the only support I have in the world. That's when I notice those deep green eyes and dark hair, he's from this District. "Go!" He shouts again, pushing me backwards, I stumble but don't fall. He pulls another pin from a red grenade but one of the beasts lunges at him. He collapses onto the floor and the grenade 's when it hits me, the sticky flaming liquid that wraps itself around the right hand side of my chest and my whole head. I remember the moment intensely. The flames wrap themselves around me and I shut my eyes tight o protect myself. I stumble backwards as I scream in pain. I fall into the water and the rapid flush me away. _

_I awake in a small room, my skin covered in bandages and my second oldest brother sitting next to me. If he rests his hand in my left hand and I struggle to close it. A doctor walks in, or attest I thought at the time it was a doctor, and fills me in on what happened and that I've been wounded gravely. From that day on it was only me and my brother, and when he died in the Games I shut myself off from the whole world, well, the whole world except Callum._

* * *

I look back up to Claire and Hasta, who are staring at me with concerned faces as the tears stream down my face.

"Napalm." Hasta says, I frown slightly to him in confusion and he looks away. "The substance that burnt you was napalm. I heard stories about it being used in my District during the Dark Days."

"Well it did this to me." I point to my face, then quickly scramble to place my mask and glasses back over my body. The feeling of the fabric against my destroyed skin is soothing and I can't help but sigh as it gently rolls over the burnt parts of my face. Claire places a hand in mine.

"They can't use it against you now." She says with a small smile, I tilt my head slightly over.

"How can they not?" I ask in confusion and then it hits me, the whole of Panem, everyone I've ever known has seen my face and heard my story, but she is right. That does now mean that my secret is out, and all the repercussions that come with it will be avoided when I fall on my sword. I look down sheepishly at my feet before I stand myself up.

"Are you going to be okay?" Claire asks with a small concerned frown. I nod yet as I nod a plan start to form in my head. I've always wondered why the peace-keeper threw that grenade all those years ago. Why did he set the forest on fire? Then it hits me, it's a trap, it 's a massive trap. The forest burnt down, killing everything in it, there's was no where the creatures could go and the only reason I survived was because the river propelled my downstream and into a lake that rests by one of the small settlements. The plan floods my mind as I withdraw the small lighter from my pockets and ignite it. The small flame dances in my hand and I stare into it with a respected fear. Why didn't I think of this before.

"I know how to win the Games."


	27. Chapter 27 - Falling On The Sword

We spend the next day walking, constantly walking. Seth doesn't seem to want to stop and to be honest I can't blame him. After the break down he had yesterday I'm not surprised that he wouldn't want to talk about it. No Tributes died yesterday so whilest we walk Seth is constantly on the lookout for Six.

"You sure you want to do this?" I ask Seth in a concerned voice.

"Yes," He replies bluntly, looking over to the Ruins from the highpoint that we stand on. We've walked this path before and I can tell it will be the last time we walk it. Seth's plan is horrific and truely brutal.

He had the idea to use himself, yet again, as bait to attract the Careers to the Ruins then burn it down with both him and all the Careers inside it. I felt my heart break when he told me the plan, is he really so far gone that the only way he can see himself being free is to purge himself in an inferno? I slow down a little so that I'm walking alongside Hasta, who Seth wants to stay with me when he charges into the Ruins to die alone.

"Do you think we can stop him?" I ask in a hopeless tone, which is most likely true at this point. Hasta sighs, looking at me with hurt eyes. The sun starts setting and Seth stops.

"We'll rest here for now." He orders as both me and hasta fall onto the floor, rubbing our legs. Seth stands for a moment and peers over the edge to the rapids below.

"Not sleeping?" I ask. Seth shakes his head in retort. The sudden realisation hit me like a train. "You want to end it all tonight?"

"Yes." He replies coldly, looking down over the edge to avoid my gaze. I stand and slowly make my way over to him, walking with as much grace as possible. I cup his face with my hands and stare into where his eyes should be.

"Come on, Seth." I smile at him as his muscles loosen and his shoulders drop. "Come sit down with us." I take his hand and lead him over to where Hasta sits. He falls to the floor with a long drawn sigh and I smile as I slowly lower myself down to sit with the two people who have changed me so much over the past few days, I wish that they didn't have to die for me, I wish they didn't have to die full stop.

"When do we leave?" Hasta asks, looking up at Seth who is using his sword to sit himself back upright. Seth sighs and thinks to himself for a moment. Me and Hasta both wait on his word, following Seth is eay and I know whenever he decides to leave I will march alongside him, I wonder if this is how the soldiers felt in the Dark Days? So loyal to their leader that they'd follow them to the depths of hell and back if they asked.

"Tonight." He says, a lump builds in my throat but I swollow it back down.

"We're changing the plan." I state. Seth goes to objects but I shush him. "If we burn we all burn together."

"Claire..." He goes to start but I shush him again, I know I've wanted him to speak but I refuse to let him die alone.

"We burn that Ruin down and then we all get out." I say, looking between Seth and Hasta with a determained face. "Together."

"Together." Hasta repeats, with a firm nod. We both glance at Seth who ponders for a moment then nods. I refuse to let him die in such a way.

"We'll be the last three Tributes." I say to Seth, or more order him to be one of the last three. "Promise me you'll get to the last three."

"Claire..."

"Promise!" I snap at him, I can feel my blood boiling, I've grown to care about Seth in a way that I've experienced with no one, not even Callum. It's love but in a different kind of way, it's the love a sister shares with her brother. We're a team, and I refuse to let him die alone.

"I promise." He whispers, he's never sworn an oath like this before and I'm glad that it was sworn to someone he trusts. Me. "But I will still fall on my sword."

"Here here." Hasta replies, looking at his trident with strange eyes.

"I know you will..." I mutter as I look down to myself suddenly a parachute lands between us. It's a large silver box. Neither of us are willing to move, so Hasta opens it and his eyes widen with delight. He lifts a red bottle from the box with three of the Capitol's finest wine glasses, along with a bowl of some form of stew. A smile spread across my face as Hasta turns the box into a tabel and lays the glasses and food out ontop. He then withdraws three silver spoons, god knows where he got them from I didn't see them, and hands one to each of us.

"Boar meet and a side order of vegetables." Hasta says in a cheery tone as he pours a single glass of the red liquid each. He smiles to me. "Oh, and the finest wine for the lovely lady here."

"Thank you, handsome." I reply with a smile as I sip the red liquid. It flows down my throat and tickles my tongue with the sweetest flavour I have ever tasted. I sigh happily as it roles down my throat and into my stomach.

"Don't drink too much." Hasta warns with a small smile. "We want you sober."

"I forgot about that." I admit, giving a low giggle as I dig into the boar. It tastes amazing, better than anything I have ever tried. Seth lifts his mask up the usual place on his nose and digs in, enjoying every bite and groaning slightly as he eats and drinks. Then I see him spot something, he picks up the bottle, reads the bottle and smiles to himself.

"This ones flamable." He smiles at me with a menacing grin that sens a chill through my spine.

"We've got our spark." Hasta adds with a small smile, finishing his drink in one gulp, which is rather impressive if you ask me.

We stuff ourselves silly and speak of what we would have done if not for the Games. What we would have loved to do.

"Fly." Seth says with a small smile as he nods to himself. "I would have loved to fly."

"We flew to the Arena you silly bugger." I say with a small smile as I punch his shoulder. Seth, not being one to take a beating, hits me back and I stumble backwards in a giggling fit.

"I mean fly like a bird, free to do what i wanted." He says almost longingly, if there is a heaven I hope that they allow you to fly all the way to the stars if you wanted, you'd have earnt it.

"Well I wanted to sail around the world." Hasta says, nodding much like Seth did. "See what's beyond Panem."

"Nothing much." Seth replies, most people have accepted that Panem is pretty much all that's left of the old world, what ever the old world was like that it.

"Yeah but we don't _know _that, there could be anything out there! Flying mountain, giant jellyfish-"

"Bollocks!" i interupt with a small grin. Hasta sighs and laughs good naturedly, I'm glad that we can all be so happy so close to the end. "There's no such thing as a jellyfish."

"Jellyfish _are real, Claire._" Hasta practically pleads to me to believe him as we both struggle to stop bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Oh yes, and squirrels can fly!" I say back in a mocking tone.

"Some squirrels can." Seth adds, taking another bite of his boar. I shoot him a frown as he shrugs innocently. "Haven't you been to the northern border?"

"Shut up." I snap in a joking tone. "Still, my point stands, jellyfish aren't real."

"Why don't you trust me, Claire?" Hasta asks with a fake sad expression plastered across his face.

"Because fish don't look like that!" I protest back with a huge grin on my face. hasta attempts to hold his act a little longer, but he bursts into fits of laughter and I can't help but notice Seth chuckling alongside us.

"What do they look like then?" Hasta asks back, I raise my hands in the air and shake them beack and forth. Then we hear that dreaded sound, the blood burgling roar of the Lizards. Seth sighs and stands. Me and Hasta both look at him with eyes of grief as he draws his weapons.

"It's time."

* * *

Me and Seth stand side by side outside the Ruins as Hasta zips up the wire using the small machine that Seth gave him. In his right hand Seth has his lighter and in his left the wine bottle with a wine soaked cloth sticking from the top. We decided to use Hasta as bait because it was his turn this time, I think the alcohol has made me take this slightly less seriously than I should be. Next thing we know I hear the distinct sound of screaming and I see Hasta sliding back down the rope. Stranegly, and also surprisngly the Cornacopia catches on fire and Hatsa is followed by every single one of the newly formed Career pack. I feel my muscles tense and when I turn to Seth he pulls his mask over his nose and plants a sweet kiss on my cheek.

"We'll be fine." He says in his normal cold voice as he pulls the mask back down. I nod and draw the string on my bow back with an arrow ready and waiting, I will not fail him today.

"We'll be fine." I repeat, but I can tell that he's afraid, not by the Careers, but by the idea of fire. "Are you scared?"

"No," he replies, turning to face me, "I'm petrified."

"Seth-"

"Stop." He interupts placing a finger on my lips, I lower it down and wrap my arms around his chest, he knows that this is it.

"I will never forget you." The tears role down my cheeks as I stare up to him like a god, he wraps his arms around me and we both stay there for a moment. He releases me as the sound of Hasta approaching becomes louder. "Make them pay for it."

"Until the end." Seth adds, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder and turning to face the Cornucopia one last time.

Hasta lands with a slap as he rolls onto the floor and we run into the ruins and into the shadows. All of us remain silent as the seven newly formed Careers make their way into the ruins, I spot Ludo walking amongst them in his broken armour. Seth takes this as his que, ignites the bottle and throws it as the girl from District 1, it hits her and the floor beneath her sets alight. She screams as the flames catch her and burn her alive. I fire an arrow as it peirces through teh catching flames that are spreading through the wooden building so quick that I doubt any of us will escape this. The arrow flies into the neck of the boy from District 3 and I hear the cannon sound twice, both me and Seth has brought our kill count slightly higher. Seth lunges forward, drawing both weapons and bring them down on Ludo, who parries them as the two begin walking into the centre of teh Ruins and swinging their weapons ferociously. Hasta runs at Anona, the girl from District 11, and catches her scythe with his trident. He then slams his shield into the bow from Distirct 9, knocking him unconious. I run over to The boy from District 3's body and take the sword he carried from him.

The boy from District 11 charges at me and I duck beneath his club, he goes to bring it back but I catch it with my sword, I drop my bow to get both hand around this wepaon. The boy kicks it into the fire and I know I won't be getting that weapon back. He lunges at me again but I side step. He then lifts the club over his head to strike my down, I dodge it with extreme speed and stab him in the ribcage, straight into his heart. The cannon sounds and I spin around to see where I'm needed next. I spot Hasta fighting two people so I run to help. Then the worst thing possible happens.

A massive hole is ripped in the Ruins as the fire catches so we have no escape and one of the Lizards pokes his large flaming head through. Hasta turns his attention to the Lizard, stabbing it in the eye with his trident. The creature smacks him out of the way and I watch as he flies into one of the broken pillars, a large chunk of wood cuts through his abdomen, implaing him to the wall. The Lizard then roars, grabs the unconcious boy and crushes him with his teeth. I hear the cannon sound as Anona brings her scythe into the Lizards other eye and it turns and runs, screaming a blood curgling screech. I turn my attention to Seth, who is on the floor with Ludo standing above him. Anona has collapsed and I know I can't let Seth die like this. The boy from District 1 comes at me with a sword, but I trip him up and stab him through the back of his neck. I focus purely on Ludo now, who is obviosuly monolouging. I feel the strength of all of District 7 behind me as I sprint towards Ludo with my sword at the ready. I look to Seth, his head turns to me and I know he's petrified. Then when I hear the sound of metal cutting through the air and fire I know I have failed.

**A/N: By far the hardest chapter for me to write so far, this is it then people, the Games are nearly over!**


	28. Chapter 28 - Prove Yourself

I scream as I watch the scythe cut through her chest, killing her instantly. I have failed. I failed my promise to Callum. The life is Claire's eyes fade as he falls to her knees. Ludo stops to turn and I seize his chance, I trip him up and dive backwards. He's none of my concern right now. I hear several cannons sound as I swing my axe into Anona's face. That was cocky smile is now replaced by a huge cut that rips through her head, nearly chopping it in half. I turn to find Ludo running away in terror, he charges through the flames and back to the rope where he slide to his safe zone, the Cornucopia. The cannon is still sounding, who is dying? I look over and find Hasta, impaled to the wall. I walk over to him, trying to avert my eyes from all the bloodshed and from Claire's distraughted face. Tear rolls down my mask as I walk over to my last ally in the arena who is struggling to breathe.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper to him as the blood pours from his mouth.

"Make them pay." He manages to croak out as he coughs up more blood. He points at my sword and then his chest and I know what I must do. I rest the tip of the blade on his chest.

"Goodbye brother." I cry as I push the sword through his ribs and into his heart. The cannon sounds and I know that this is it. I'm truly alone. I ignore the flames, something about then is wrong, they aren't spreading anymore, they are just there. That's when I realise what has happened, the Capitol has set the whole arena on fire. I knee next to Claire's body, removing the scythe and turning her over so that she lays on her back, even if there is still a massive hole in her abdomen. I cross her hand over her chest, close her eyes for one last time and plant a kiss on her forehead. The tears stream down my mask land on her as I slowly pull away.

I walk out the Ruins, the whole arena is on fire, everywhere. I walk down the steps, the only thing not covered in a raging inferno. The Lizards are lined along the path and roar at me as I walk, this the Capitol giving me a choice, fight the Lizards or fight Ludo. A single Lizard stands in the path and I stop as it turns to face me, it brings it's head down so I stare straight into it's eyes, full of pain and death. They're as much a slave as I am. I gently run my hand along it's snout and walk past the creature, it won't hurt me.

I walk over to the rope that connects the Ruins to the Cornucopia, which has now stopped burning. I take a moment to look at this once beautiful land. Even it was an arena, it still had a marvel that I couldn't quite get over. I look down the flowing rapids, they aren't made of water anymore, they're made of blood. Another tear drops from my face as I compose myself. The capitol have somehow place their own version of Spec's machine here and I know what I must do. I take on last look at the Ruins as they collapse in on themselves. I bring my fist over my heart and bow my head, a gesture not used since the Dark Days, then attach myself to the machine. I zip up the rope at high speed and get thrown onto the Cornucopia.

* * *

I land with both my weapons drawn and ready, but Ludo is standing ready to fight. He is looking over the edge of the Cornucopia, watching the fires burn away this once marvel of nature. I walk over to him, this is the warriors respect, he may not see me as a warrior, and I may not see myself as a warrior, but for today i shall fight and die like one.

"I didn't think it would end like this." He says as we watch the inferno burn away the ropes which attach the Cornucopia to the arena. Now I'm truly trapped with him. "We're all that's left."

"We knew this is how it would end." I reply, he chuckles slightly, the cocky attitude is gone and only now is the gravity of the situation sinking into him.

"I just wanted to prove myself." He admits to me, is the feeling of guilt sinking in? "I've killed three people, but none of them match to you." There it is, that 'I want to rip your throat out' feeling that we share about each other.

"I don't think any of this matters."

"Of course it matters." He snaps back at me, now he's turned to face me so I reply to him by facing him as well. "Don't you see what this all is? Twelve Lizards? The arena burning? The only thing left standing is what the Capitol made."

"They all represent-"

"The Districts." He finishes. I wonder if Six had worked this out before he was burnt to death? "I know what you're thinking, you want revenge on the capitol but it won't work. You would fight for a losing side." I don't reply, instead I walk closer to the Cornucopia and stand in front of the entrance, Ludo squares off in front of by about ten yard. "I know how you think."

"And how do i think, Prince?" I ask in a tone so dark that it even sends chills down my spine. He chuckles again, does he think I'm playing stupid?

"I know you want revenge." He nearly hisses the last part and I feel my muscles tense at the word. Even though I can't see his face under that helmet, I know he's noticed my reaction to the word. "You want revenge on the Capitol."

"Maybe I do." I reply with a small shrug.

"Of course you do, Assassin, they've taken everything from you." He squares off again, both of his hands gripping his swords tightly. This is it. "But they don't get your life, your life is mine."

"To the death?" I ask, looking down at my weapons for a moment then back up to the Prince of Power, my one true enemy.

"To the death." He replies, taking a deep breath in. "Today, we finish this like warriors." And with that we charge at each other with weapons swinging.

* * *

I spin, he ducks, he stabs, I dodge, I swing, he parries. We carry on like this for a while. Trapped in a deadly dance that neither of us can escape from. The moves are smooth and easy to follow, and we both know what we're doing so each attack is countered by a parry which starts the cycle again. Every stab I make is deflected and every slice he makes is rejected. Truly this is the hardest I have ever fought, never before have I been able to counter with such precision and even when Ludo fought earlier, he wasn't this quick. I focus completely on him, observing as each piece of chain-mail moves with that plate that rest on top, then at long last I get a hit, my tomahawk digs into his right shoulder plate where I had hit him before and it flies off. Ludo stumbles backwards and grows at me, I re-engage, trying my best to try and hit him in his now exposed point.

All I need to do is cut through the chain-mail and I will have reduced his fire power by at least half. I decide to take a gamble, Ludo lunges forward and skims the right side of me, it cuts easily through my top, I bring my arm down and grasp his hand. Then following with the tomahawk i swing from the left, he ducks underneath the weapon and plants his head right on my nose. I stumble backwards, my vision is blurred but I can see him coming at me, he jabs again but I catch the blade with the underside of my tomahawk, I spin, lift the blade over my shoulder and pull down, acting like a lever blade blade flies from his hand and into the river of blood bellow us.I hadn't realised just how close the edge we had moved until now.

He slashes while my back is turned and cuts down the back of my left arm. I wince in pain, spinning back around with my good arm and attempting to decapitate him with my sword. He ducks beneath and jabs one more time. I parry with my axe, push the sword away and thrust with my own. I catch him beneath the breastplate and I hear the chain-mail split as my sword breaks through. Ludo completely stops moving, I move him around so that he's standing on the edge of the Cornucopia with his back to the Ruins. I pull out my sword and he falls to his knees. Oh how far the mighty fall. I look at the burning Ruins, and the Lizards that now march over it and down into the depths below. I grab Ludo's helmet, placing my thumb in the hole I made, I yank it from him. The boy I remember, strong and arrogant, now lies broken and I can't help but feel pity for my beaten foe. As I go to throw the helmet he stops me.

"You keep that, helmet." He says as he coughs blood onto my boots. "Keep that as a trophy." I frown and take my glasses and mask off. He stares into my broken face in disbelief.

"I'm not a headhunter." I reply coldly. He grins as the blood runs through the small gaps between his teeth and down his mouth. "I'm only human."

"Oh no, no..." He coughs again, only this time a big splatter on blood falls to the floor instead of the small marks that were before. "No you're not. You're something else."

"I'm only a man, Ludo." I say looking him in the eyes. He stares back into mine.

"All this, Assassin." He coughs again and his breathing becomes deeper and sharper, I know he's suffocating to death. "I just wanted to prove myself." He says as the blood steadily flows from his mouth. The adrenaline is rushing through my body and the pity I feel transform into anger as all my hatred for the Capitol builds into the one swing of my sword which I pull from him with no grace.

"Well you proved yourself a monster." i reply, his eyes widen as I bring the sword down like he did to the girl he executed. His head come clean off and I kick the body down off the Cornucopia and into the flames below, his head then rolls off and follows where the rest of him had gone. The last cannon sounds and I turn away and stare in the darkness of the Cornucopia.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner, of the 55th annual Hunger Games!" A voice booms over me. It was over, I had won, I did what no other Greenlaw has ever done, I won the Hunger Games. The relief that hits me soon fades when I feel the skin on my back slowly start to peel away, then I feel the blood gush down my arm and that familiar feeling of pain hits me as the guilt of me victory sinks in. I fall to my knees as my vision begins to blur and then, like a flame on candle, I am extinguished.

**A/N: And with that ladies and gents we have our winner, but the story isn't over yet :D Just a quick question, what was your favourite chapter through out the story? :)**


	29. Chapter 29 - Now Live With It

I awake back in my flat. The familiar fabric of the bed fills me with a sense of contempt. I won the Hunger Games, and the more I think about it the more the grief hits me. I failed, I made a promise and I failed. Most people would be happy that they won but not me, I wanted to fall. I wanted to die knowing I did at least one thing that was right in my life. My mask and arena clothes are still on but they feel different, I'm assuming it's because they are actually clean, which they haven't been for the past week or two. I slide out from under the covers and slip into my boots. My arena clothes have been fixed and I can see where the cuts on the fabric were, a suit sits on the chair in the corner of the room, but right now these clothes are what I feel I should wear. I wear them like a veil of shame, I failed in these and I shall remain in these, never taking my mask off again. The door opens and Blight stands in the doorway. He smiles at me with relief spreading over his face as the morning sun rises behind him.

"Hey Mummy." Is all he says in a soothing voice. I walk over and extend my hand, he takes my forearm in his and we both stare at each other for a moment. The formalities are abandoned and I wrap my arms around Blight. "You did good."

"I failed, Blight." I reply, taking a step backwards from him. Blight smiles slightly, he knows I'm right and he knows that he's failed too. "Where's everyone?" I ask in an attempt to be civil.

"They've been waiting for you to wake up, you've been out cold for two weeks." He replies. I take the information surprisingly well, last thing i remember is collapsing and considering how easy it was for me to walk I'm not surprised it's been two weeks.

"Do they know I'm awake?" I ask, Blight shakes his head.

"You must be hungry."

"Not really." I reply, and if I'm honest I'm not hungry at all. I can tell I've lost weight but I really don't care, I deserve it. He leads me into the main room and I smile when I see the tree, still growing strong even though it's surrounded by the Capitol's cold stone. I sit opposite Blight as he picks up, you guessed it, a bloody orange.

"We'll inform everyone you're up, go back to your room, they'll want to see you meeting you team." Blight says with a small smile, I nod respectfully at him and go the my room, leaving the door slightly open.

I only have to wait ten minutes before I hear countless footsteps from the elevator, and what I'm assuming is a camera crew. Blight says something and I can hear all the others questioning it, I take this as my que and walk from my door. I turn to face them all, my team and the cameras. For a moment everyone is silent, until Amor walks swiftly up to me and squeezes me in his arms, I hug back, not sure on what to do at this point. He lets go and I see tears flow from his eyes, obviously destroying whatever green make-up he had placed on. Aleron walk over to me and does the same, but he doesn't cry, he's a man of cold steel.

"Well done, my boy." He says with a small smile. I smile back at him, even though I know he can't see it. Then I feel a far softer pair of arms wrap around me, it's Cassia. She is also balling her eyes out like a small child and refuses to let me go, even if I try to push myself from her vice like grip. Finally I cave in, lift her off the floor and hug her back, even the camera man is crying at this point and in the distant I can hear most of the Capitol cheering for me. When I finally let her go the cameras turn off and I'm free for a few hours.

* * *

I sit around the table while everyone talks. I had already told them I want to go to the interviews dressed like this because it is truly who I am, and after these Games I don't think anyone has the heart to argue with me. I don't eat either, or drink, but I'll be honest no one seems to care. Then that evening I am whisked away to a stage where I am forced to wait whilst Caesar entertains the audience above. I can barely hear him but judging from the reaction of the audience he is being exceptionally humorous. As I said before, so charming it hurts. Finally I am raised above on a small pedestal, much like that in the arena, to be presented in front of the Capitol. The audience breaks into an applause and I can't help but smile as Caesar extends his hand, I take his forearm with a firm grasp and give a quick nod, it's a sign of friendship after all. He gestures for me to sit in the Victors Chair and I take my place in history along with every other murder who has sat in this chair of glory.

This when they force me to sit down and watch a three hour movie of everyone I've killed. Every year the story is the same, Tributes arrive, Tributes die, Victor remains, but this year they play the story of heroism and sacrifice, what we are meant to embody. It starts with the reaping and I hate the feeling that comes with watching the people who I have known and killed either smile happily for being chosen, or struggle to maintain themselves as they are forced to fight.

It mainly focuses on the four main contenders as they say. Me, Ludo, Claire and Hasta. Three of us volunteered for this, evening if it was for different reasons. Every time I see Hasta or Claire's face I feel a sense of dread. I killed Hasta myself, even if it was a mercy killing it was still me who pushed my blade into his heart, and I feel even worse when I see Claire's beautiful smiling face.

It then focuses on our parades and the training. These only take an hour and when the Games finally kick off it shows just how brutal they really were. I watch as me and Hasta sprint towards the Cornucopia, fight our way out then slide down the ropes to where Claire is waiting. What makes it worse is that it then cuts to Ludo, who ordered his Careers to round up the three Tributes who didn't escape in time and he kills them mercilessly. It then cuts to me and the rest of my pack and what we were doing, including meeting with the two from District 12. I feel a sense of failure rush through me when I see both of their faces as well.

Then it shows how I went hunting after the Careers, my shot at Ludo and my failure to escape. I watch myself collapse and attempt to crawl to safety. It the cuts back to how Ludo had ordered everyone to protect him and that's the only real reason i wasn't followed and executed. It then cuts to Hasta and Claire, laughing as Hasta tries to explain what a jellyfish is.

I zone out for most of the rest of the movie, trying to force myself not to jump out of my chair and rip someones throat out. The only real time I pay attention is when it shows me taking me mask off, I look hideous and I know that I will be punished for my crimes against the Capitol, I admitted to Panem that I murder a peace-keeper. I zone out again and until I am forced to watch my last true day in the arena, and the night that I became a Victor. They also decided to show each individual surviving Tribute who wasn't in either my pack or Ludo's burning to death or being eaten by one of the Lizards, Six was unfortunate enough to be one of the ones who had a slow and hot death as he burnt under a fallen tree.

Then an old tradition follows, President Snow crowns me the Victor, but his snakes eyes dig into me and I know something isn't quite right. Obviously I'll have an accident when I get back home and will tragically die without anyone being able to predict such a death coming for such an amazing fighter. I feel like I want to be sick.

Finally I am set free, or at least I thought I was, I'm instead taken away to the presidential mansion and forced to have fun with people I would rather decapitate. I am forced to dance with several women, normally i wouldn't mind, but right now what I want to do is avoid them all and sit in a dark corner. Then a shiver runs down my spine as the President himself asks for me to be seated next to him for the meal. I keep my composure and sit on the golden chair to his right, his wife and daughter sit to his left. His daughter is about the same age as me and watches me with longing eyes, I know Claire was scared of being turned into a piece of meat but I hope to god I don't.

"We need speak, ." He starts in his normal casual voice, which is petrifying.

"About?" I ask back, he gestures to the roast chicken that sits in front of me but I refuse it. I doubt Snow has ever had any Tribute refuse free food before.

"Two thing, one of your accident, and the other is that of how close you came to speaking against the Capitol." I'm glad I have my mask on, and no skin for that matter, otherwise I would be pale as a sheet of snow... Poor choice of words... Pale as a sheet of ice right now. "You must repent."

"How?" I ask again. Snow shrugs, and places a small cube of roast chicken into his mouth.

"You will find a way." He replies in his cold tone, but I can tell by the way he looks at me that he doesn't want me doing community service.

"You want me to kill people." I reply with a sunken heart, haven't I killed enough?

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." Snow replies, placing another cube of chicken into his mouth.

"I feel guilty enough as it is, sir."

"You took the lives of those people, now live with it!" He snaps back, I take this as my que and quickly leave the table. So he's not going to kill me outright, but he's going to make me pay somehow, and the chances are that includes violence. I wish he'd just kill me if I'm honest.

I spend the rest of the parties having officials and other obnoxious Capitol people have pictures taken with me and talking to about how sad the Games were and what they were doing at the time of certain events, and how upset they were when Claire died. As soon as anyone mentions that name I always find an excuse to excuse myself from the conversation, either that or a quick act of me trying not to have a break down scares them off, even if the line between act and the real thing is very blurred if not non existent. Finally Blight comes to me with a huge smile on his face, obviously he's been drinking more than he should have.

"Let's get you to bed." He says with a small smile that makes me chuckle. I follow him out the mansion and we make our way to the car to take me back to my flat.


	30. Chapter 30 - The Phoenix

I sit in front of a plate of boar meat.

"Going to eat that?" Blight asks, I shake my head and like a startled cat he's over the table with his knife in my plate. Amor frowns at him, even though I expected this to happen. Blight takes the massive chunk of meat on his knife and eats it in one fell swoop, god he must be hungry. The thought of hunger hinges in my stomach but I push the though away, in theory I should have starved to death, but Blight has been sneaking me these small patches from the Capitol that keep me alive with the nutrients and the correct amount of water. Normally they are used people in coma but since I haven't been eating Blight has been forcing me to take these by placing them on my left arm. Aleron has also been quite annoyed with me, being that I haven't bathed or removed these clothes since I woke up. He often comments on how bad I smell and that he has to use this strange gas in a bottle to make me smell nicer.

"You'll be doing your interview later." Amor instructs, eating an apple as he speaks. At long last they are eating something that isn't orange! "Just act friendly and everything will be fine."

"Aren't I always friendly?" I ask back sarcastically. Amor smiles as he continues to bite into his apple. I've been coming out of my shell slowly, and I feel I should live after everything I've been through, I owe it to both Hasta and Claire. I look over at one of the many oranges that lie in the middle of the table. I feel the saliva build on my lips but quickly look away. I'm not quite ready to let myself go yet. My mask still feels strange on my skin, I would have thought that the past few days would have roughened it slightly, but no it seems to slip on me perfectly. I haven't had the courage to take the mask and glasses off yet, I still don't want to see that destroyed skin that represent my soul.

"Good morning my lovely darlings!" Cassia exclaims as she trots through the elevator door. I roll my eyes and give a quick wave, it seems to be me that everyone else does exactly the same. "You're going to need to get changed later."

"No chance." I reply coldly, my tone catches everyone by surprise and I sigh, even I thought my tone was a bit too cold on that one. "Sorry."

"It's fine, darling." Cassia replies with a small smile. She trots over and helps me to my feet. Even though I'm thin, and I mean thin enough that I can feel my ribs sticking from my body like a rock from a cliff-face, I still retain a lot of the strength I had gathered from years of hauling kills back to the Butcher. She walks me to the edge of the table and I stop for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just had a thought." I reply, they all expect me to reply with my thought but I keep it to myself and continue walking. Something about what Hasta said to me. Make them pay. His voice echoes through my mind, Snow wants me to pay for my crimes, so I will pay for my crimes. I'll pay them to the Districts, for the crime of sitting idle while we are forced into starvation. I will pay my debt to freedom in rivers of blood and fields of fire.

* * *

My name is screamed and I walk onto the stage proudly, or at least with a mask of fake pride. The audience screams in awe and wonder as I wrap my hand around Caesar's forearm. He returns the gesture with a massive smile spread across his face like butter on toast. He points to the chair and I sit with a loud thud. Since my head was filled with the idea of blood and death I can't help but feel at peace, more confident, I feel like I may be able to come out of my protective shell that little but easier.

"So, you did it Seth." He starts as the smile remains slapped on his face. "You won the Hunger Games!" Caesar shouts, the audience all cheer fanatically, obviously these are my supporters and not Ludo's.

"Yes I did." I reply, laughing to myself as the images of what happened to me during those dreaded days flash in front of me.

"And I think I speak for all us, " Caesar leans in forward and I feel most of the audience follow him, "that you're story truly touched out hearts."

"What?" I ask in surprise, did the Capitol just sympathise with me? Do they see me as the victim and not the villain? That's when a realisation hits me, these people don't want me dead. Snow wants me dead, what these people want is a release. These people aren't their government, and I promise to free them of their slavery when I let the blood flow. "I thank you, Caesar, and all of you in the Capitol for your support."

"You are a true hero, Seth." Caesar says, taking my hand in his.

"I don't feel like one." I reply honestly. The Capitol seem to object at this point, have i pissed everyone off? Caesar mouths a distinct 'no' but I feel the anger fill me, I struggle to keep composure and all that slips from my lips is the two fatal words that show how broken I really am. "I failed." The audience has fallen silent as I look down at my feet, my head hanging low and shamed. I know that all of Panem is hinging on my every word, and that Snow is listening with the devil's ears.

"You, Seth Greenlaw, are one of the most spectacular Tributes I have ever had the blessing of speaking to." Caesar says in a soothing voice, I look up from my trance and from the faint sound I can tell most the audience is sobbing. Suddenly a mirror comes from below with three strange rectangles around it, both of them are pitch black and the same size as the mirror. Caesar points to the mirror.

"How have you felt these past few days?" He asks with a small smile, helping me stand up and walking me in front of the mirror.

"Fine, I guess." I reply. Then the black rectangle above me changes into a picture of, wounded and damaged with my mask on, walking in the fire with both my axe and sword drawn. My body language is tense and strong and I look upon the true me. I look back into the mirror. Suddenly, as if like a flash, Caesar's hand is on my mask. I go object but he pulls it back. I stare in horror, my burns are gone, and a stranger stands in front of me.

Tears instantly form in my emerald eyes as I look at the stranger in front of me. The sharp angles of my cheekbones, the strong jaw line, the light black stubble that dots my face, my long black eyelashes, black eyebrows and short black hair that grows in several little spikes. I try to hide my tears back as I extend my hand to the face in front of me. Then two images appear on either side of me, one of course is fake, it's of me with my mask off and fixed skin smiling with my arms folded. The other is of me with burnt skin, standing defiantly. I see Caesar smile behind me, I turn to him with what must be a look of awe over my face. He extends a hand but I push it away and wrap my arms around his shoulder and squeeze tighter than I could have though possible. All of the audience stand, clapping, cheering, crying, but all of them happy for me. I don't deserve this and when I pull away from Caesar I put the mask back on. The audience and Caesar all looked confused.

"You don't need that anymore." Caesar says with an eyebrow raised, I smile beneath my mask, turning to the mirror. I look up at the image of me walking through the fire.

"That is me." I say, my sense of identity is built into this mask. It represents so much, I wore this when I went into the arena and until I'm ready I will continue to wear it proudly. "The fire will always be me."

"And like a phoenix he was reborn." Caesar comments. A proper cheesy pun but the Capitol seems to love it, a few of them even chanting Phoenix. Another title I presume. I turn to Caesar as he takes my hand and lifts it above his head.

"Ladies and gentlemen." He begins with a huge grin plastered over his face. "The Assassin, no, the Phoenix of District 7! This year's winner, of the fifty fifth annual Hunger Games!" he screams as the audience all cheer.

* * *

Just before I go to leave on the train a familiar voice beckons behind me, Caesar. He runs over, or at least his version of running, and hands me a long box. I take it from him with a confused expression, which I know he can't see, and when I open the box my heart stops. Five items with so much meaning lie in them. My sword, my tomahawk, Kate's necklace, Claire's ring, and lastly Ludo's helmet. I look back up to Caesar.

"Thank you." Is all I manage to stutter out. He smiles.

"Anything for our Phoenix." He replies, happily walking away as the all the camera men that surround me cheer in excitement. Ranger, Assassin, Lionheart, Tribute, Victor, Phoenix, all these titles to explain me yet not what of them works as well as a single word, broken. Phoenix and Assassin, my two titles being called as the door closes behind me and I walk into the dining area of the train. Blight leans against the table, a huge smile beaming across his face.

"We're going home, Seth." He says, I can't help but chuckle when he says that, I thought I would never see my home again. I suppress the emotions of anxiety that bubble up inside me, how am I going to justify myself to the people? To Callum? All I know is that, right now, my own real ally and friend left in the word is in front of me, leaning against the table.

"How do we forgive ourselves?" I ask him in a sad tone, leaning against the table the same way he does. Blight sighs for a moment as he takes the box from me and places it on the floor next to him. He goes to speak, but notices something in the box, he then withdraws Ludo's helmet and holds it in his hands. He looks up to me. "I'm not a headhunter."

"This isn't a head." He replies in a polite tone, I smile under my mask and chuckle ever so slightly. He inspects the helmet with deep eyes. "We never can." He finally answers.

"Then how do we live with ourselves." I ask, sighing and letting my head drop.

"We don't live," he replies in a hollow tone, "we just survive."

"Just survive..." I repeat to myself as I feel the train pulling away. I hadn't said goodbye to any of the Capitol people in my team, I'll be seeing them in six months anyway so there's no need for goodbyes. Blight look over to me and I back at him. He hands me my sword and tomahawk, both is their respected sheathes that i had carried on my back for what seems like an eternity. I slide them over my shoulders and tighten them like I had in the arena. This is the real me, not the boy beneath the mask that the Capitol had rebuilt so I can the Phoenix. I am broken, it's who I am, I am the mask.


	31. Chapter 31 - My Hero and Epilogue

I sit with my mask over my nose, shredding each piece of venison that I can with a hungry passion. Blight laughs as I rip through the meat and vegetables like a rabid dog.

"I think Amor would feint if he saw you now." He says with a huge smile plastered upon his face as I smirk back at him, ignoring the gravy that drips from my mouth. "You never were one for manners."

"Hey!" I reply jokingly and throw one of the silver spoons at him. It hits Blight on the forehead and he laughs as he stumbles backwards, nearly falling off his chair. He grasps onto the table with talon like grip and raises an eyebrow to me. I smile to myself as I continue eating. "How long till we're home?" I ask as a sense of longing hits me like a train. Blight thinks for a moment as he pulls himself back towards the table.

"I'd say about half an hour." Really? We're that close? That feeling builds up inside me again but I push it back in. There's no need for me to get all emotional, I'm going home and I should be happy for it, Claire would want me to be happy. "Is everything okay?"

"I just need time to adjust." I reply, finishing off the food in my plate and pulling the mask back down over my face.

"We all needed that." He admits with a small smile. "Don't worry, you won't be alone."

"I never was." I say back, Blight's small smile turn into a real one. It's true, I have never been alone, I may have lost so much but i always had a little amount of hope to hold onto. No matter what happens when I come home, I know that I'll always have an ally, the ally sitting across the table from me.

* * *

The train pulls up to the station and me and Blight are rushed into a car with blackened rear windows, meaning we can't see in or out. I hate this feeling, i wanted to come home and run straight to the forest, to my river, just to shed all of this Capitol from me and remember that I'm still pure. Or at least as pure as I'll ever get. We're then hurried into the Justice Building from a rear entrance, neither of us being shown what's happening. I was never at these home comings so I'm not sure what's going to happen, but what I expect is a crowd of silent people staring at me with eyes of hate and failure. Suddenly the doors swing open and I'm greeted by a wall of cheers and a blinding light. I step into the light as the mayor of our District rushes me to the centre stage. All of them, cheering and screaming my name. I stare in disbelief for a moment, then Blight takes his place beside me.

"Show them this." He instructs and hands me Ludo's helmet. I stare down at it for a moment, as damaged and concealing as I am. I turn it around and lift it into the air with both hands. The crowd cheers even more and I can't help but smile. That's when I hear it, my name being mentioned by a familiar voice. Callum.

He sprints past the peace-keeper, nearly sending him flying as he does it and wraps his arms around me. For a second I don't know how to react, I just stand in front of Panem with a helmet over my head in shock. Finally I compose myself, throwing the helmet to the ground and hugging him back. He releases me, both hands around my shoulders and smiles, tears streaming down his face. I smile back, knowing he can't see my face but he understands the gesture. A peace-keeper comes to me with the box that Caesar gave me. I take out Claire's ring and hand it back to him, he places it on the middle finger of his right hand and kisses it fondly.

"And what about me?" I hear a voice call from behind me. I turn and see Kate, standing happily on the stage in a green dress, nothing like what has been worn in the Capitol but she looks beautiful none the same. I run to her and wrap my arms around her waist, lifting her off the floor for a moment as she places her arms over my shoulders. I drop her down, withdraw her necklace from the box and placing it around her neck. Tears build in her eyes too and I know that the Capitol must be loving this reunion right now.

Callum takes my left hand, Kate takes my right, and they both lift my hands in the air. The crowd cheers one more time and I know that at long last, I can finally let go of the fire that burnt me so long ago.

-Epilogue-

I wake up drenched in sweat and grasping the sheets of my dark green bed yet again. Kate rushes in into our bedroom.

"Everything okay?" She asks with a concerned look. Even five months after the Games I still haven't recovered and this routine has repeated every morning since she moved in with me three months ago. Being without family means I could have a few squatters in my house. Callum comes from around the corner and nods.

"What happened this time?" He asks, another person who I need in my life for my to function properly, how I'm going to deal without them in the Victors' Tour.

"Ludo again." I say, sitting from my bed and placing my hands in my head. Kate comes over, sits next to me on the bed and wraps her arms around me. I sleep like a sapling when she's in bed with me but when she wakes up early the nightmares instantly start flooding back. She kisses my lips and hold me steady as I breath in deeply to calm myself down. "This time it was him executing me." I look up at my sword and axe, which I have mounted on the wall in a cross shape with Ludo's helmet just above the cross over point. Kate didn't like it in our room, but it's the only true memory I have of what happened in that arena, other than the ring that Claire wore, but I gave that to Callum because he obviously needed it more than I did. He still wears it to this day, and I don't think he'll ever take that small ring off.

"Well he didn't 'ave you that night." She says kissing my temple. I smile at her and stand. Luckily I sleep in my boxers or Callum would have had a very awkward moment just then. He gives me a small smile.

"I'll go make the tea." He says and runs down the stairs of my mansion and into the kitchen below. The house is truly beautiful, all made of dark brown shiny wood with forest green walls. A perfect home for someone from District 7. I still can't help but feel this house shouldn't be mine, and that it should be Claire's family that live here today. I get into my clothes, I had several copies of my arena clothes made so I could wear them. It feels strange to wear anything but them after the Games. Kate thinks it's because I still haven't let got over the fact that I survived and Claire didn't, and maybe she's right, but I know if I died in that arena I wouldn't have Kate with me right now. She smiles and wraps herself around my arm.

"You going to be wearing the mask today, babe?" She asks looking up at me face. I stare into the mirror on the dresser in front of me, and then glance down at the mask and glasses that I rest upon it every night. So far I have worn the mask outside everyday, it is my first face after all, even if my original bandages have been replaced with the beautifully made black mask. I take my top off so I can put the full thing on, then place my shirt over the mask. Last go my glasses, as they always do. Kate sighs a little and gives me the same disappointed look she gives me every morning, this isn't just through routine though, she truly wants to see me accept my new self.

"One day, I'll take it off for good, my darling." I reply and kiss her on the forehead through my mask.

"I'll just have to take it off you later." She says in her seductive voice with a sly wink and walks out of the bedroom. Without Callum and Kate I wouldn't have made it through this past year and I'm truly grateful for both of them being with me. I smile to myself and look in the mirror. Then up at Ludo's helmet and back down to the mirror.

"One day..." I say to myself. "One day you'll be avenged." And the mental image of Hasta and Claire stand behind me in the mirror, weapons in hand. They give me a stern look and a determined nod. I nod back to them in the mirror, a plan forms in my mind and pictures of blood and bolts flying through the air grasps my mind like a vice. "Make them pay."

**A/N: I thank you all for reading my first FanFiction :D Thanks to everyone who messaged me or reviewed and special thanks to Gentille Aloutte who has been my main source of inspiration for the past month :D But the story isn't over ladies and gents, I'll upload a small teaser for the next story when I'm able and inform you all when the Spark of Rebellion finally ignites, have a lovely day all!**


	32. Preview: The story continues!

"I don't think Callum and Kate will want to hear this." He says, staring into his cup.

"Why not?" Callum asks defensively.

"Because I said so." Blight snaps back, I rest a hand on Callum's shoulder and give him a quick nod. He rolls his eyes and stands, Kate follows suite in silence, which is most likely best right now. "Go make yourself useful in the village." He orders and the two leave the room with a slam of the front door behind them.

"You wouldn't act like that unless something was seriously wrong." I say with a concerned look, even though he still can't see my face.

"Would you like to put a top on?" He asks, with a small chuckle. I shake my head.

"I'll be fine like this." I reply honestly, grasping my hands together and leaning forward so that I'm rested on my elbows. "Now tell me, what's wrong?" He sighs, takes a sip of his tea, then looks up to me.

"I've received word from Snow." That name makes me freeze in place. I take my glasses off, lay them to the side of my hand and stare Blight straight in the eyes.

"Go on." I say. Blight laughs to himself, a gesture often used by people when they really know that they're in the shit.

"There's a conspiracy going on in the Capitol." Blight says staring into my eyes. "And he wants you to stop it." His words catch me off guard and I just stare blankly at him. I'm not sure what's shocked me more, that some idiot in the Capitol is going up against Snow, or that I'm being contracted to stop it.

"Why me?" I ask.

"I can answer that." A familiar voice comes from behind me. Blight freezes in place and I know exactly who it is even before I turn my body to face him.

"President Snow." I say coldly. Snow smiles at me lightly, then passes me a black top which I quickly place over my head. He walks over to the end of the table.

"May i sit?" He asks politely. I gesture to the seat. "Thank you for your hospitality dear boy."

"Pleasure is all mine." I reply after steadying my nerves. The initial shock of his appearance wore off quickly and I know that right now I have a job to do. This feels like the Games all over again. "What is the problem then, sir?"

"Sir?" Snow repeats and laughs to himself. "My boy, if we are to work together, you need to drop this sir act, I know you dislike so just be honest and show me the disrespect I have so happily earned from you." His reply surprises both me and Blight who just shoot each other worrying looks.

"You still haven't answered the question." Blight adds, Snow glares at him with his venomous eyes.

"You, boy, you still have to call me sir. We'll be speaking a lot in public." Snow stares at Blight, who lowers his gaze and apologises under his breath. "Now, as Blight has told you, there's a plot in the Capitol."

"What is the plot?" I ask. Snow withdraws a small device and places it on the table. It lights up and a hologram appears above the small device. A list of names float in front of Snow's face. He stands from his chair, closes the curtain so that we can clearly see the hologram then points to the names.

"These people, are all the previous victors." He says, their names turn into pictures, he places his finger on the images and slides his finger down. Letting the faces that were once there switch into many different people. "An outside party has been looking for information on me. One of these people has leaked this information and must be terminated."

"An outside party, sir?" Blight asks.

"That's none of your concern." Snow replies coldly.

"Is it mine?" I ask.

"No." He replies again. I frown slightly.

"What makes you think we'd want to terminate other victors?" I ask, Snow laughs and walks over to me, resting a hand on my shoulder, I can feel the ice inside his soul spread through my body. It seems like the exact opposite effect Kate has on me. Where as her touch fills me with a fiery passion, this fills me with a frozen dread.

"Because you have no choice." He whispers in a death-like tone. Suddenly the picture turns to that of a cross-hair and in it are Kate and Callum talking to the Butcher. I tense instantly, knowing that there's no way that I can say no. "And because the Victors only trust other Victors, and with good reason."

"I didn't spend much time with them last year, sir." Blight says with a frown. Snow moves away from me and back to the hologram, but the cold on my shoulder is still pulsing intensely. "Can you narrow the list down?"

"We have eliminated the ideas of anyone from your Career Districts, and of course District 7." Snow says. That means we have Nine Districts to get through, surely there can't be that many Victors from anywhere outside of a Career District? The Careers win nearly every year and I only won due to luck and my need to survive in my early years. "But this person is sly, very sly, if not for their allegiances I would have recruited them."

"Still, why do you need me?" I ask, the question makes Snow frown, I know why he needs me but why not choose Blight? "Why do you need me to terminate this person?" I ask. Snow chuckles, sitting back down at the table. He presses a few buttons on the small device and the hologram changes to me fighting with Ludo. This is different though, it's a projection of just me and Ludo fighting. The two blue figures dance in front of us, spinning, twisting and stabbing as if I wasn't there.

"Because you are a born killer." He pointing to the two holograms. Ludo is on his knees. I bring my sword down on his neck and as it makes contact the hologram shuts off. Snow stands, moves to the window and opens the curtains. "And right now, that's what we need."

"What you need." I reply. Blight frowns at me and I can feel Snow's gaze fall upon me like two daggers in my back. His footsteps become louder and he leans against the table.

"Exactly, what I need." He says. I bring my eyes to meet his and for what seems like an eternity we glare into each others souls. "I will leave the hologram in you're care, Blight. Obviously you have the most sense here." He says not breaking my gaze.

"Thank you, sir." Blight replies, but I can tell in his voice that he's struggling to keep a level head.

"And I'm sorry for the loss of your mentor." Snow says, with no such kindness in his tone. He breaks my gaze, walks out of the door and by the time I have reached the window, Snow has vanished. Blight lets out a long drawn sigh and I hear a strange thud sound behind me. I turn to see Blight resting his forehead on the table. His dark brown hair clearly unorganised from where he had run his stress filled hands through them. I sit opposite Blight again and wait for him to compose himself. It takes a few moments but with on last sigh he lifts his head from the table.

"I didn't see that one coming." He admits.

"You think?" I ask jokingly. We both laugh quietly to ourselves, but it soon builds to what must sound like hysterical laughter from anyone not in the room. "We're so fucked."

"I know." He replies, his face half full of fear and the other half full of laughter. This is a common thing it seems. When shit hits the fan we burst out laughing. I compose myself, stand, and make my way to the counter where I prepare a cups of tea for the both of us. Blight comes over to me and leans against the counter while we wait for the kettle to boil. "We can do this."

**A/N: I'm working on the second story now, with school work and getting ready for Basic training it's proving quite difficult, so here's the teaser I promised, hope you all look forward to it :)**


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